The Internal Revenue Service announced last week that it was piloting a pre-examination retirement plan compliance program beginning this month. This program involves the IRS notifying an employer by letter in advance that the employer’s retirement plan was selected for an upcoming examination.

The letter gives the employer a 90-day window to review its retirement plan’s document and operations to determine if they meet all current tax law requirements. If the employer does not respond within 90 days, the IRS will contact the employer to schedule an examination.Continue Reading IRS Announces New Retirement Plan Pre-Examination Program

On January 6, 2022, the Tax Exempt and Government Entities (“TEGE”) division of the Internal Revenue Service released its Fiscal Year 2021 Accomplishments Letter (the “Letter”). Among other responsibilities, TEGE through its Employee Plans division has jurisdiction over tax issues involving retirement plans.  The United States Department of Labor shares jurisdiction and focuses on enforcement of the ERISA, the other primary law impacting benefit plans.  As the name suggests, the Letter described the accomplishments and results of various IRS compliance initiatives during the period October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.
Continue Reading IRS 2021 Accomplishments Letter Shows Retirement Plan Audit Activity Continues

Although the government shutdown appears to be over, at least temporarily, businesses will need to deal with the aftermath of the lengthy shutdown.  One of the many unintended, and perhaps unforeseen, consequences of the shutdown was its impact on federal tax collection efforts.  During the shutdown, Internal Revenue Service Revenue Officers who handle collection matters

On September 23, 2013, the IRS released Notice 2013-61 which provides special rules for employers making claims for refunds or adjustments of Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and federal employment taxes resulting from the United States Supreme Court’s decision in Windsor.  In Windsor, the Court found that Section 3 of the Defense of