33 pages; For use in preparing 2025 Returns. "This publication explains the federal income tax rules for social security benefits and equivalent tier 1 railroad retirement benefits.... [It] covers ... [1] Whether any of your benefits are taxable. [2] How to report taxable benefits. [3] How much is taxable. [4] How to treat lump-sum benefit payments. [5] Deductions related to your benefits, including a deduction or credit you can claim if your repayments are more than your gross benefits." MORE >>
"The shutdown stalled a ton of regulatory work.... With the backlog, we may see shorter comment periods, and you may experience tighter timelines to comply ... [B]race for a wave of enforcement activity as regulators catch up on filings that occurred during the shutdown and audits or investigations that were put on hold." MORE >>
"Use Form 7206 to determine any amount of the self-employed health insurance deduction you may be able to report on Schedule 1(Form 1040),line 17. You may be able to deduct the amount you paid for health insurance, which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance and qualified long-term care insurance for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents." MORE >>
"The Roth catch-up threshold has been adjusted from $145,000 to $150,000 for 2026. It was unclear if the threshold would be adjusted since 2026 is the first year that it is being enforced. What this means is that if an employee had 2025 compensation considered wages for Social Security and Medicare tax purposes (Form W-2, Box 3) that exceeded $150,000 from an employer, that employee would only be able to make catch-up contributions on a Roth basis in 2026 in that employer's plan." MORE >>
"Count all employees, not just plan participants.... Count only common-law employees.... Count part-time employees.... Count employees of related entities (and successors).... Count employees and related entities outside the United States. " MORE >>
"[FAQs Part 72] does not create new methods for providing benefits, but rather illustrates how current excepted benefits programs can be used to offer fertility benefits. It is unclear whether plan sponsors will use excepted benefits for fertility coverage, but the attention on fertility benefits may increase interest in other cost-effective family-planning options for plan participants and their families." MORE >>
"[E]mployers can fund auto-features by reallocating existing dollars rather than increasing budgets.... [P]lan sponsors might also consider integrating health care and retirement into a single benefits strategy. Opportunities often exist in health care to reduce costs by revisiting plan design and better understanding current fee arrangements -- potentially leading to renegotiations or better alignment of overall incentives, " MORE >>
"[E]ven employers that clearly define their eligibility provisions may find themselves accidentally covering ineligible dependents. There could be financial, operational, and legal risks associated with this ... While there's little 'official' guidance about how dependent eligibility audits should be performed, [this article provides a list] of the items employers might want to keep in mind for the process." MORE >>
"While a level funded plan may feel like a fully-insured plan since the monthly cost is level, there are important compliance differences ... Being aware of these potential pitfalls may help avoid unexpected surprises down the line.... Stop loss lasers ... Stop loss -- terminal liability ... State continuation coverage." MORE >>
"[In] the 2024 plan year, 8.9% of respondents had an in-plan annuity.... [P]lan sponsors were asked if they had a lifetime income component within a target-date fund, to which 13.8% answered yes.... [S]ince using an annuity isn't required and (as the data show) isn't common, fiduciaries are apprehensive about taking on a product that could be construed as imprudent." MORE >>
"Unlike publicly traded funds, data about alternative investment funds is not always readily available nor easy to interpret.... Financial advisors can help retirement plan participants navigate the brave new world of customized alternatives by doing a deep dive into what's available and how they compare with traditional bonds, cash, and stock. This is easier said than done. New products won't have a long track record. Performance metrics will differ." MORE >>
"Federal annuitants often don't have the same flexibility as federal employees when it comes to offsetting their health insurance costs, making it important to keep certain strategies in mind when weighing Open Season enrollment. Federal annuitants face two significant premium increases next year: [1] FEHB premiums will rise by an average of 12.3% for the enrollee share. [2] Medicare Part B premiums will increase by 9.67%." MORE >>
"To date, ... no one appears to have proffered a study or data clearly demonstrating that adding alternative assets into plans will increase participant returns without disproportionately increasing the volatility and risk faced by participants as market investors. Particularly in the absence of broadly accepted proof to this effect, plan sponsors and fiduciaries court possible breach of fiduciary duty suits by adding alternative investments to their plans." MORE >>
"A withdrawal plan is just as important as your investment strategy. While the immediate goal is to make sure you have enough income to support your lifestyle, the bigger opportunity lies in how you take that income and how to minimize taxes over your entire retirement, not just this year. A thoughtful, tax-efficient withdrawal strategy can potentially reduce your lifetime tax bill and help your money last longer. Let's walk through how to build one." MORE >>
"As the 2026 proxy season approaches, public companies and their boards are navigating a rapidly evolving executive compensation landscape.... This alert outlines key considerations for public companies and their compensation committees as they prepare for the 2026 proxy season and related compensation decisions" MORE >>
"Congress must stop the widespread abuse of the drug patent system that prevents competition and keeps U.S. drug prices far too high.... Site-neutral payment reforms would lower costs and ensure American patients receiving the same service from the same entity in the same geography are charged the same price.... Policymakers should codify existing rules on Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) to give more employers a predictable mechanism for enrolling workers and their families in affordable health insurance coverage of their choosing." MORE >>
"The United States ... has no mechanism to control overall health spending in our fragmented health system and then to compensate, we micromanage to control costs ... The posterchild of how this happens in the U.S. is prior authorization review, ... [which] is becoming a duel between provider AI tools helping hospitals and large group practices out maneuver insurance company prior authorization, and insurance company AIs trying to weed out necessary from unnecessary care and promote 'value' as well as, of course, insurance company profits." MORE >>
"The Final Regs give plan sponsors more options for how to handle this complex plan provision. Some make your life easier, and some may make things more difficult.... Deemed versus affirmative election ... Determination of HPI for controlled/affiliated service groups ... [P]lans with no Roth contributions and HCEs who aren't HPIs ... Including Roth contributions made before limit reached ... [C]orrection deadlines and consequences ... Additional guidance on increased 60-63 catch-up contributions ... [D]iscuss your options as soon as possible with your TPA." MORE >>
"This Roth catch-up requirement creates several potential challenges for employers and their plan service providers, including ... Who is subject to the rule? ... Will deemed elections be implemented? ... What if we can't or don't implement deemed elections? ... What other challenges will your company face? ... How and when will you provide notice and information to participants? ... Questions to consider." MORE >>
"Employers who sponsored self-insured group health plans, including level funded plans and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), must pay the PCORI fee by July 31, 2026.... [T]he applicable rate per covered life is determined by a plan year's end date and is increased each year depending on the value of national healthcare expenditures." MORE >>
"[P]lan sponsors will need to consider the available options for compliance, make necessary plan design decisions such as whether to use a separate election and/or deemed election approach and whether to aggregate FICA wages if the employer is part of a controlled group or uses a common paymaster arrangement, and begin operating the plan in accordance with those decisions by January 1, 2026." MORE >>
"[This summary] outlines the major SECURE 2.0 changes, their effective dates, whether they are optional or required, and the steps you can take now to prepare." MORE >>
"For an employee who is approved for intermittent FMLA leave, the employer's first task is to determine the employee's entitlement.... [F]or those employees who don't work a tidy 9-5, this calculation spells trouble -- and heightens the risk of an FMLA interference claim. In its most recent opinion letter, the [DOL] highlights this critical yet common mistake that employers make with a word of caution: When calculating intermittent FMLA leave, always pay attention to the employee's actual work week and regularly scheduled hours." MORE >>
