The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just released proposed regulations related to wellness plans, finally lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding its actions. The EEOC regulations apply to wellness plans that include disability related inquiries or “medical exams” The EEOC’s regulations are designed to allow employers to continue to provide financial incentives to employees, up to … Continue Reading
In M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett, the U.S. Supreme Court has opened the door for many employers to re-examine their ability to alter or amend retiree benefit plans. The Court rejected a long-standing presumption in the Sixth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals (Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee) that retiree benefits in collective … Continue Reading
From 1 January 2015 new tax regulations apply in Poland covering the use of company cars for private purposes. A lump-sum rule will apply, instead of market valuation. The old rules Employment income includes not only salary, but also fringe benefits the employee gets free or at a discount. These include private medical services, gym … Continue Reading
I believe the taxpayer was in fact called Graeme but nonetheless he was certainly trying his luck! In the recent UK case of Forsythe v HMRC the question was how a payment made under a compromise agreement by a former employer to a retired employee to end the employee’s access to a private healthcare scheme should … Continue Reading
You don’t need to have a season ticket at Ibrox to be familiar with the difficult few seasons that Rangers FC has faced, both on and off the pitch. Despite securing promotion to the Scottish Championship earlier this year, the club and its fans are still feeling the effects of this famous name going into … Continue Reading
For employers, the Hobby Lobby decision of the U.S. Supreme Court makes no attempt to define the scope and meaning of the term “closely held” corporation. The majority opinion stated that “the cases before us are closely held corporations, owned and controlled by members of a single family”. Is this ruling supposed to be limited … Continue Reading
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in United States v. Quality Stores, Inc., No. 12-1408.,188 L. Ed. 2d 413, has broader implications for employers than its legal holding. On its face, the holding is that supplemental unemployment compensation benefits paid to terminated employees after a reduction in force or closing of an operation are subject … Continue Reading
As from 6 April 2014 UK employers can reduce their NICs bill by £2,000 – the so-called “employment allowance”. It is estimated that up to 1.25 million businesses and charities will benefit from employment allowance. Around 450,000 businesses and charities won’t have to pay any employer NICs at all – but only if they remember to … Continue Reading
Where a UK resident non-dom has two separate employment contracts for UK and non-UK duties, the overseas earnings may be taxable on a remittance basis so that they are not subject to UK tax if kept outside the UK. HMRC has been concerned that employment contracts are being artificially separated or earnings disproportionately allocated to take … Continue Reading
Readers may have been captivated by BBC1s recent Panorama programme which touched upon, amongst other things, the so-called “bump plan.” Details of this entirely legal tax strategy came to be heard in most unfortunate circumstances for a very highly regarded member of the tax profession, who has subsequently resigned his position on the GAAR panel- … Continue Reading
