Month: July 2015
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Clear explanation that there are no “1099 employees”
I like this clear simple language in Employee Benefit News: “Employers face an uphill battle in classifying a worker as an independent contractor due to DOL guidance that defines ‘employee’ so broadly that such a classification should only be reserved for a narrow subset of workers.” It is amazing how many employers are oblivious of…
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Most workers are employees
The issue of worker misclassification – where businesses classify workers as independent contractors and local, state and federal authorities call them employees – is a long-standing problem area for small businesses. Federal and state auditors (not just tax but worker’s compensation as well) have been engaged in an aggressive “crackdown” on misclassified workers. This week…
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Sandy flood insurance claim review won’t be an easy process
US Senators from New York and New Jersey have been working for many months to get FEMA to admit that its contractors ripped-off Sandy victims by low-balling flood insurance claims. Finally FEMA agreed to review all flood claims of people who felt they were short-changed by the assessors. I was among those affected. In short,…
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Tax planning for small business excise tax penalties under IRC 4980D
Tax professionals are looking for the best way to approach clients in this environment of uncertainty surrounding new excise taxes for small business health plans. The excise tax affects two types of plans: 1) those that use individual health insurance, and 2) those that reimburse employee out-of-pocket expenses (often called an “HRA”). Those who say…
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Fixing the problems of financial do-it-yourselfers
New Jersey financial adviser Michael Kay wrote in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal “Do-it-yourselfers often approach advisers as a last resort when they have an especially complex or urgent financial issue, and advisers should proceed carefully with this type of client.” Since the launch of my own practice six months ago, I notice that a high…