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On November 9th, the IRS announced additional inflation adjustments for 2024, including to the annual contribution and carryover limits for healthcare flexible spending accounts and the monthly limit for qualified transportation fringe benefits. The IRS did not increase the annual contribution limit for dependent care flexible spending accounts because that limit is not indexed to…

On November 1st, the IRS released a number of inflation adjustments for 2024, including to certain limits for qualified retirement plans. As expected, this year’s adjustments are more modest than last year’s significant increases. The table below provides an overview of the key adjustments for qualified retirement plans.

Qualified Defined Benefit Plans
20232024
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On October 21st, the IRS announced changes to its qualified plan determination letter program. Most notably, the program has been expanded to include section 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity plans (“403(b) plans”). Although 403(b) plans are similar to tax-qualified defined contribution plans (“401(a) plans”), they are subject to unique rules, and, until now, the IRS…

On October 21st, the IRS released a number of additional inflation adjustments for 2023, including to certain limits for qualified retirement plans.  Perhaps most notably, the annual limit for pre-tax and Roth contributions by employees to 401(k) plans has jumped from $20,500 to $22,500, and the annual limit for “catch-up” contributions to such…

On October 18th, the IRS announced a slew of inflation adjustments for 2023, including to the annual contribution and carryover limits for healthcare flexible spending accounts and the monthly limit for qualified transportation fringe benefits.  The IRS did not increase the annual contribution limit for dependent care flexible spending accounts because that limit is not…

The IRS has informally stated that it is intending to make some significant changes to the Determination Letter program, and is even considering eliminating the program for individually designed retirement plans (other than perhaps initial and final determination letters).  The agency apparently is looking to streamline its operations and focus its resources on other areas.  …

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A district court in the District of Columbia recently held that the Internal Revenue Service’s (“IRS”) rule authorizing premium tax credits to individuals who enroll in health-care coverage through federal exchanges was unambiguously consistent with the “text, structure, and purpose” of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”). Halbig v. Sebelius, No. 13-cv-0623, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4853 (D.D.C. Jan. 15, 2014).

The Exchanges, Premium Tax Credits, and Challenged IRS Rule

To facilitate the purchase of “minimum essential” health-insurance coverage (which the ACA requires that most Americans either obtain or pay a tax penalty for failing to do so (the “Individual Mandate”)), the ACA provides for the establishment of American Health Benefit Exchanges (“Exchanges”). As explained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), the Exchanges act as “a mechanism for organizing the health insurance marketplace to help consumers and small businesses shop for coverage . . . .” Currently, sixteen states and the District of Columbia have elected to establish Exchanges (“State-run Exchanges”). Because the remaining thirty-four states have currently declined to do so, HHS has (pursuant to its authority under the ACA) stepped-in and created Exchanges on their behalf (“Federally-facilitated Exchanges”).