In October 2017, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) released new 2017 mortality improvement scales. This is one of those good news/bad news situations. The good news is that for entities which must record pension obligations, these obligations are expected to be lower utilizing the new scales. The bad news for the rest of us is
IRS Announces 2018 Pension Plan Limitations; 401(k) Contribution Limit Increases to $18,500 for 2018
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced cost of living adjustments affecting dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related items for tax year 2018, including that the 401(k) contribution limit increases to $18,500 for 2018. The IRS issued technical guidance detailing these items in Notice 2017-64. Highlights of Changes for 2018 The contribution limit for employees
Pension plans for funding purposes are required to use prescribed mortality tables by the IRS. As expected, these were recently updated by the IRS and will be in effect for 2018. Plan sponsors should work with their actuaries to determine the impact to future funding requirements for these updated mortality tables. More specifically, IRS notice
President Trump signed into law H.R. 3823, the “Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017”, which delivers temporary tax relief for retirement plans as well as other tax relief to the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria while reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for six months. The bill contains
The Internal Revenue Service announced that 401(k)s and similar employer-sponsored retirement plans can make loans and hardship distributions to victims of Hurricane Irma and Harvey and members of their families. This is similar to relief provided last year to Louisiana flood victims and victims of Hurricane Matthew. Participants in 401(k) plans, employees of public schools and tax-exempt organizations
The Internal Revenue Service recently issued Notice 2017-44. This notice provides model amendments that a sponsor of a qualified defined benefit plan may use to amend its plan document to offer bifurcated distribution options to participants in accordance with final regulations issued under § 417(e) of the Internal Revenue Code (see T.D. 9783, 2016-39 I.R.B.
The IRS in Revenue Procedure 2017-41 updated the procedures for the issuance of opinion and advisory letters by the IRS regarding the qualification in form of Pre-approved Plans. This revenue procedure modifies the IRS’s historic approach to Pre-approved Plans in order to expand the Provider market and encourage employers that currently maintain individually designed plans