Those of us who work in the benefits area understand that the distinction between employee and independent contractor is an important one, but one in which the determination is not always clear. In many cases, the IRS takes the position that a particular worker is an employee, rather than an independent contractor, thereby requiring the
Understanding Employee Benefits and key developments in the employee benefits field and items of interest to our clients. MORE
Compensation Questions
It is Always Good to Follow the Plan’s Claims Procedure in Denying a Claim
A recent Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision involved high ranking executives who participated in a company’s long-term incentive plan. Under the plan agreements, executives who did not continue employment for a three year performance period forfeited benefits under the plan unless they qualified for a pro-rated award. A pro-rated award was available for participants …
Beware Unexpected Tax Consequences from Telecommuting
Mary worked for IT, Inc. at its headquarters in Maryland. Her husband moved to New Jersey for his work and Mary moved with him. Mary continued to work for IT, Inc., writing computer code from her home in New Jersey and uploading her work to her co-workers in Maryland via the Internet. IT, Inc. withheld …
Unreasonably Low Compensation and FICA Taxes
In many cases where the IRS claims that compensation is not “reasonable,” the focus is on whether the compensation is too high to be deductible by the employer. The arguments are often reversed in the S corporation context. Because there is only one level of tax in the S Corporation, some owners try to minimize…