G. Edgar “Eddie” Adkins Jr., CPA, received the 2022 Arthur J. Dixon Memorial Award, the highest honor bestowed by the accounting profession in the area of taxation.
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Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Final regulations adopt ‘family-friendly’ health care affordability test
Previous regulations had based the affordability of employer-offered coverage for family members on the cost of an employee’s self-only coverage.
Inflation boosts HSA amounts for 2023
Health savings account maximum contributions, along with minimum deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses of accompanying high-deductible health plans, will be higher next year.
Proposed regulations revise premium tax credit’s affordability test
The existing benchmark of self-only coverage “unduly weakens” the purpose of the Affordable Care Act, the IRS and Treasury say, noting a presidential executive order to strengthen and protect the act.
Supreme Court lets health care law stand
The US Supreme Court held that Texas and several other states lacked standing to sue over the constitutionality of the Sec. 5000A mandate that requires individuals to obtain minimum essential health coverage. The decision leaves the Affordable Care Act in place.
2022 HSA, excepted-benefit HRA amounts increase slightly
Maximum health savings account annual contributions will increase by $50 to $3,650 for self-only and $100 to $7,300 for family coverage for 2022. Inflation adjustments in Rev. Proc. 2021-25 also increase maximum out-of-pocket expenses for high-deductible health plans.
Applying grandfather status to certain health care arrangements
Regs. Sec. 54.9815-1251 defines a grandfathered health plan as coverage provided by a group health plan, or a health insurance issuer, in which an individual was enrolled on March 23, 2010.
Health coverage reporting deadline extended
The IRS extended the due date for furnishing Form 1095-B and 1095-C health care coverage information returns to individuals from Jan. 31, 2021, to March 2, 2021. The date for filing them with IRS has not been extended.
IRS announces 2021 HSA limits
The IRS issued its annual inflation-adjusted contribution limits for contributions to health savings accounts permitted to participants in high-deductible health plans. Most of the amounts increased slightly over the 2020 amounts.
Rules proposed for direct primary care arrangements, health care sharing ministries
The IRS issued proposed regulations defining direct primary care arrangements with doctors and health care sharing ministries and how payments for them can qualify as Sec. 213 medical expenses.
HSA contribution limits increase for 2021
The IRS issued its annual inflation-adjusted contribution limits for contributions to health savings accounts permitted to participants in high-deductible health plans. Most of the amounts increased slightly over the 2020 amounts.
IRS allows midyear changes to health coverage, dependent care elections
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the IRS is allowing employers to permit their employees to change their health coverage elections or dependent care elections during the year and is extending the carryover period for health flexible spending arrangement (FSA) expenses.
High-deductible health plans can cover coronavirus testing, treatment
To facilitate the nation’s response to COVID-19, the IRS issued guidance permitting high-deductible health plans to cover costs for testing and treating the virus without satisfying a deductible requirement.
5th Circuit invalidates health care law’s individual mandate
The Fifth Circuit held that the “individual mandate” under Sec. 5000A, which imposes a “shared responsibility payment” on taxpayers who do not obtain health insurance that provides at least minimum essential coverage, is unconstitutional now that the payment amount has been reduced to zero.
Deadline for health care information statements extended
As it does every year, the IRS extended the due date to furnish certain health care information statements to individual taxpayers to March 2, 2020.
HRAs can be integrated with individual health plans
The IRS issued final regulations on health reimbursement arrangements, which may be offered to individuals as individual coverage HRAs and integrated into health insurance plans.
Guidance adds preventive care items to high-deductible health plans
The IRS added 14 types of preventive care items that qualify to be provided under a high-deductible health plan to treat chronic medical conditions.
Final HRA rules permit integration with individual health insurance
The IRS issued final regulations on health reimbursement arrangements, which may be offered to individuals as individual coverage HRAs and integrated into health insurance plans.
2020 limits on HSA contributions are issued
The IRS issued its annual notice of the inflation-adjusted limits on contributions to health savings accounts. All of the limits increased from 2019 to 2020.
Federal agencies issue proposed rules on health reimbursement arrangements
The Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services departments proposed rules for health reimbursement arrangements, which can be used in coordination with individual health insurance if certain requirements are met.
employee benefits & pensions
Profits interests: The most tax-efficient equity grant to employees
By granting them a profits interest, entities taxed as partnerships can reward employees with equity. Mistakes, however, could cause challenges from taxing authorities.
