Tax-exempt organizations—especially hospitals and health systems—face a new tax reality now that both houses of Congress have voted to pass the final tax reform bill.
On Wednesday, both houses of Congress voted to pass the final tax reform bill (the Act) and send it to President Trump for signature. The Act represents the most sweeping overhaul of the tax code in decades and will have a significant impact on businesses and individual taxpayers. The final bill also includes changes that will impact employer-provided benefits, including fringe benefits, certain types of executive compensation and benefits provided through tax-qualified retirement plans.
For more information about some of these changes, please see our On The Subject publications or visit our Tax Reform Resource Center.
On Saturday, the Senate passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The process of reconciling the House and Senate versions of the bill has already begun in earnest. Currently, the retirement-plan-related changes included in each version of the bill still differ in many respects, and it is unclear which (if any) changes will be included in the final bill. As a result, with only a few weeks left until the holiday recess, a clear picture of the potential impact of tax reform on retirement plan sponsors has yet to emerge.
Both the House and Senate versions of tax reform propose significant changes that may reduce or eliminate the tax benefits of many popular employer-provided fringe benefits, such as dependent care assistance programs, on-premises gyms and bicycle commuting expense reimbursements. In addition, many common deductions for work-related activities—including certain meal and entertainment expenses—may see sweeping changes.
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