Some employee benefits such as child care and transportation benefits are soon to be offered to the same-sex domestic partners of military members, U.S. Department of Defense recently announced. Outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta indicated in Feb. 11 memo that…
As defined benefit plan sponsors look harder for ways to cut expenses and lower exposure to market forces that challenge keeping their pension obligations funded, an obvious cost to evaluate is their commitment to lifetime retirement benefits for participants. Nearly…
A private company that provides paper transit vouchers to parts of the federal government for use in its qualified transportation fringe benefits has claimed that the U.S. Department of Transportation is implementing an electronic payment system that does not comply…
Even as the IRS announces it plans to issue guidance on the use of smartcards with qualified transportation fringe benefits, public comments on such guidance include allegations of impropriety from one vendor. The IRS asked for input on whether it…
Employees who want to help victims of Hurricane Sandy through leave donation may do so without being taxed on the monetary value of the vacation days, sick days and personal leave they donate, the IRS announced Nov. 6. In a…
Employers and plan administrators have more options now in choosing a way to reimburse the expenses their employees incur for lodging, meals and incidentals during business travel. The IRS in Notice 2012-63 issued per diem rates that are an alternative…
Reimbursement rates for lodging, meals and incidental expenses for fiscal year 2013, which begins Oct. 1, will be frozen at FY 2012 levels, the U.S. General Services Administration announced Aug. 27. GSA is the arm of the federal government that…
The standard industry fare level rates that employers will use to calculate the value of trips taken aboard company aircraft during the second half of 2012 were issued Aug. 14 by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The rates have increased…
Employers that pay advances, allowances or reimbursements to employees for work-related entertainment expenses — including taxpayers who, in turn, get reimbursed by their clients for such expenses — have until Oct. 30 to comment on a proposed regulation IRS published…
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have put transit parity — that is, the equalization of mass transit and qualified parking benefits under tax Code Section 132 — back in play, after watching it fail earlier in the session. The legislation would…