Do you have the correct I-9 form? As of 1/31/2020, employers should start using the new form dated 10/21/2019. However, using the new form will NOT be mandatory until May 1, 2020. The new form clarifies who can act as the authorized representative of the employer. The new form also clarifies acceptable documents that employees can present and how employers should record the documents. For more information and download the new form click here:
With the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018, the IRS has revised the W-4 form for NEW 
employees that will start working with your organization on or after January 1, 2020.
The new form is easy for employees to use and understand. There are five steps.
Most employees will complete ONLY Steps One and Five. Take a look at the FAQs the IRS has available.
For additional information click here: SHRM Article.
Be advised as of Friday, July 12, 2019, that Judge Lora Livingston, Texas District Court Judge, blocked Aliera Healthcare from signing up new members during the ongoing litigation.
Aliera is currently under investigation by the FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Office and Georgia Attorney General’s Office. The State of Washington has ordered Aliera to stop doing business in that state. Several other states’ department of insurance now have consumer warnings about the company on their websites.
Aliera Healthcare is not an insurance company, but a heath care cost-sharing ministry. This fast-growing type of coverage is based on Biblical principled, like-minded individuals that believe they should help each other in times of need. In this case, members contribute monthly to an Aliera administered fund to help pay for future medical needs. Because the group is not covered by insurance laws, Aliera has no legal obligation to pay claims that are filed on behalf of the participating members.
While there are some faith-based ministries operating legitimately, there are others that are taking advantage of not being regulated by any government body.
For additional information click here: HoustonChronicle.com.
“Audit” is a word that can strike fear into the hearts of taxpayers.
However, the changes of an Internal Revenue Service audit aren’t that high. In 2017, the I.R.S. audited 0.5% of all individual tax returns. *
Being audited does not necessarily imply that the I.R.S. suspects wrongdoing. The I.R.S. says that an audit is just a formal review of a tax return to ensure information is being reported according to current tax law and to verity that the information itself is accurate.
Random Selection. Some returns are chosen at random based on the results of a statistical formula.
Information Matching. The I.R.S. compares reports from payers-W-2 forms from employers, 1099 forms from banks and brokerages, and others- to the returns filed by taxpayers. Those that don’t match may be examined further.
Related Examinations. Some returns are selected for an audit because they involve issues or transactions with other taxpayers whose returns have been selected for examination.
Provide Complete Information. Among the most commonly overlooked information is missing Social Security numbers – including those for any dependent children and ex-spouses.
Avoid Math Errors. When the I.R.S. receives a return that contains math errors, it assesses the error and sends a notice without following its normal deficiency procedures.
Match Your Statements. The numbers on any W-2 and 1099 forms must match the returns to which they are tied. Those that don’t match may be flagged for an audit.
Don’t Repeat Mistakes. The I.R.S. remembers those returns it has audited. It may check to make sure past errors aren’t repeated.
Keep Complete Records. This won’t reduce the chance of an audit, but it potentially may make it much easier to comply with I.R.S. requests for documentation.
Remember, the information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.
Citations.
*irs.gov/statistics/enforcement-examinations [1/30/19]
On May 21, the IRS announced in Revenue Procedure 2018-34 the 2019 shared-responsibility affordability percentage. Based on the ACA’s affordability standard as adjusted for inflation, health coverage will satisfy the requirement to be affordable if the lowest-cost self-only coverage option available to employees does not exceed 9.86 percent of an employee’s household income, up from 9.56 percent in 2018.
For 2019 calendar-year plans using the federal poverty level (FPL) safe harbor to determine affordability, an employee’s premium payment can’t exceed $99.75 per month, up from $96.08 per month in 2018.
The affordability standard is the highest percentage of household income an employee can be required to pay for monthly plan premiums, based on the least-expensive employer-sponsored plan offered that meets the ACA’s minimum essential coverage requirements. Eligible Large Employers need to cautious and ensure that they offer at least one plan that meets this standard.
Non-grandfathered group health plans must comply with an annual limit on cost-sharing, known as an out-of-pocket (OOP) maximum, which is set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This limit takes into account an employee’s spending under the plan deductible, as well as co-payments and percentage-of-cost co-sharing payments, but not plan premiums. Last December, HHS announced that for the 2019 plan year, the OOP maximum will be $7,900 for self-only coverage and $15,800 for family coverage. In addition, the self-only is applied to each covered individual, whether the individual is enrolled in self-only coverage or family coverage.
The IRS annually sets a separate and lower OOP maximum exclusively for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) that can be coupled with health savings accounts (HSAs), known as HSA-qualified HDHPs. The limits for the 2019 HDHPs OOP for self only coverage is $6,750 and $13,500 for family coverage.
Related SHRM Article:
2019 HSA Limits Rise, IRS Says, SHRM online Benefits, May 2018