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IRS Announces 2024 Employee Benefit Plan Limits

On November 9, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for certain health and welfare plan benefits, including those for health flexible spending arrangements and commuter benefit plans, among other important updates. Employers, many of whom are in the midst of or have already completed open enrollment for 2024, will need to review these limits as soon as possible. Employer action may include, for example, determining whether enrollment portal updates and communications to participants are necessary. For employees who have already made 2024 elections without the benefit of the new dollar limits, employers may need to reach out to these employees to inform them of the new amounts and consider implementing a new election window.

See the 2024 limits.




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IRS Announces 2024 Employee Benefit Plan Limits

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits for various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans for 2024. Certain health and welfare plan limits have not yet been released.

Most of the dollar limits that are subject to adjustment for cost-of-living increases will increase for 2024. The Social Security Administration released separate adjustment amounts.

See the limits here.




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IRS Announces 2023 Employee Benefit Plan Limits

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration announced the cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits on various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans and the Social Security wage base for 2023. The table below compares the applicable dollar limits for certain employee benefit programs and the Social Security wage base for 2022 and 2023.*

RETIREMENT PLAN LIMITS (guidance link) 2022 Δ 2023 Annual compensation limit $305,000 ↑ $330,000 401(k), 403(b) & 457(b) before-tax contributions $20,500 ↑ $22,500 Catch-up contributions (if age 50 or older) $6,500 ↑ $7,500 Highly compensated employee threshold $135,000 ↑ $150,000 Key employee officer compensation threshold $200,000 ↑ $215,000 Defined benefit plan annual benefit and accrual limit $245,000 ↑ $265,000 Defined contribution plan annual contribution limit $61,000 ↑ $66,000 Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) limit for determining the lengthening of the general five-year distribution period $245,000 ↑ $265,000 ESOP limit for determining the maximum account balance subject to the general five-year distribution period $1,230,000 ↑ $1,330,000 HEALTH AND WELFARE PLAN LIMITS (guidance links here and here) 2022 Δ 2023 Health Flexible Spending Accounts Maximum salary reduction limit $2,850 ↑ $3,050 Health FSA Carryover Limit $570 ↑ $610 Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts± If employee is married and filing a joint return or if the employee is a single parent $5,000 = $5,000 In employee is married but filing separately $2,500 = $2,500 Excepted Benefit Health Reimbursement Arrangements (EBHRAs) $1,800 ↑ $1,950± Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit and Qualified Parking (monthly limit) $280 ↑ $300 High Deductible Health Plans (HDHP) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) HDHP – Maximum annual out-of-pocket limit (excluding premiums): Self-only coverage $7,050 ↑ $7,500 Family coverage $14,100 ↑ $15,000 HDHP – Minimum annual deductible: Self-only coverage $1,400 ↑ $1,500 Family coverage $2,800 ↑ $3,000 HSA – Annual contribution limit: Self-only coverage $3,650 ↑ $3,850 Family coverage $7,300 ↑ $7,750 Catch-up contributions (age 55 or older)± $1,000 ═ $1,000 SOCIAL SECURITY WAGE BASE (guidance link) 2022 Δ 2023 Social Security Maximum Taxable Earnings $147,000 ↑ $160,200

 

Plan sponsors should update payroll and plan administration systems for the 2023 cost-of-living adjustments and should incorporate the new limits in relevant participant communications, like open enrollment materials and summary plan descriptions.

For further information about applying the new employee benefit plan limits for 2023, contact your regular McDermott lawyer.

* The dollar limits are generally applied on a calendar year basis; however, certain dollar limits are applied on a plan-year, tax-year, or limitation-year basis.

± Not indexed for cost-of-living adjustments, with the exception of limited guidance issued for certain years.




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The Basics of Health Savings Accounts and Health Flexible Spending Accounts

In a recent webinar, Jake Mattinson and Sarah Raaii discussed the basics of health savings accounts (HSAs) and health flexible spending accounts. They provided an overview of the various regulations surrounding HSA, such as eligibility requirements, high deductible health plans, and contributions and distributions, and cafeteria plans. Additionally, they analyzed the differences between HSAs and Health FSAs and HRAs.

View the full presentation.




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IRS Announces Employee Benefit Plan Limits for 2014

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced cost-of-living adjustments to the applicable dollar limits on various employer-sponsored retirement and welfare plans for 2014. Although many dollar limits currently in effect for 2013 will change, some limits will remain unchanged for 2014. This On the Subject provides a chart of these 2014 cost-of-living changes.

To read the full article, click here.




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New Guidance on Form 8889 for Health Savings Accounts

by Amy M. Gordon and Susan Nash

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released the 2012 version of Form 8889 (Health Savings Accounts [HSA]) and its Instructions.  The Form 8889 is filed by HSA holders as an attachment to the IRS Form 1040.  The Form 8889 is generally used to report contributions and distributions to and from the HSA.  The 2012 versions of the form and instructions are substantially similar to the 2011 versions, however the 2012 form and instructions have been updated to include the 2012 contribution limits, and to reflect that qualified HSA distributions from health flexible spending accounts (FSA) or health reimbursement accounts (HRA) are no longer permitted.  Please note the 2012 HSA contribution limits are $3,100 for an individual and $6,250 for a family.  




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Recent PPACA Guidance on New $2,500 Health FSA Limit

by Maureen O’Brien and Susan Nash

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently released guidance on the implementation of the $2,500 limit on health flexible spending accounts (FSA) scheduled to go into effect in 2013.  IRS Notice 2012-40 (Notice) clarifies the application of the new limit for plan years beginning after 2013 and solicits comments regarding whether to modify the use-or-lose rule set forth in the current proposed regulations under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Code).

The Notice states that the $2,500 limit on contributions to health flexible spending accounts is applicable for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2013.  This means that non-calendar year plans do not need to institute a mid-year limit to comply with applicable law.  In addition, the Notice states that the $2,500 limit does not apply to heath savings accounts or health reimbursement accounts or “flex-credits” granted by an employer.  In addition, for cafeteria plans under Section 125 of the Code with grace periods which allow use of contributions for up to two and one-half months after the end of the plan year, the $2,500 limit does not apply to any amounts contributed for the previous plan year and available during such grace period.

If an employee erroneously contributes more than $2,500 to his or her health flexible spending account for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2013, the Notice provides for a correction method for employers to refund amounts over the limit to the employee and adjust the employee’s reportable wages for the applicable tax year.  This correction method is available only if the employer has complied with the written plan requirements of Section 125 of the Code, the erroneous contribution was due to reasonable mistake and not willful neglect by the employer and the employer’s cafeteria plan is not under examination for the plan year in which the erroneous contributions occurred.

The Notice also provides that employers may amend the cafeteria plan anytime prior to December 31, 2014 to comply with the new FSA limit.  Such amendment may express the limit as a maximum dollar amount or use another method to express the new $2,500 limit.  The $2,500 limit will be subject to cost of living increases and this type of indexing should be considered when drafting any required amendments.

Finally, the Notice requests comments on modifications to the use-or-lose rule for health flexible spending accounts currently in effect given implementation of the new dollar limit.  McDermott will continue to update employers on any changes to the use-or-lose rule for health flexible spending account plans.




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