March 28, 2014
The Internal Revenue Service today reminded taxpayers who turned 70½ during 2013 that in most cases they must start receiving required minimum distributions (RMDs) from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and workplace retirement plans by Tuesday, April 1, 2014.
March 28, 2014
Despite recent claims that the deadline for signing up for Obamacare would not be postponed beyond the initial March 31 deadline – the day before April Fool’s Day – the White House has finally caved into the pressure. According to a report in the Washington Post on March 25, the Obama administration is extending the…
March 26, 2014
The government seems to have worked out most of the kinks in www.healthcare.gov, the online site used to sign up for Obamacare. But it has yet to address another glitch that surfaced almost two years ago: Language in the law that prevents married taxpayers who file separate tax returns from qualifying for special tax subsidies.
March 24, 2014
When it first became clear that tax preparers – including CPAs – would have to be the front line in implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I voiced a lot of concerns. I doubted it would be possible for accounting professionals to serve as both trusted advisors and health insurance sales people.
March 20, 2014
Live-in nannies, maids and aides that help the elderly and disabled with meals, housework, bathing and dressing are not currently guaranteed the minimum wage. As a practical matter, the local market for the aides who visit for part of the day does pay at least minimum wage, but those who are staying 24 hours are…
March 17, 2014
New legislation passed by the House tying the “doc fix” to Obamacare is expected to meet its demise on the Senate floor. Thus, a once-promising solution to a long-term problem is likely to turn into another victim of bipartisan politics.
March 13, 2014
Every American citizen should have access to affordable, quality health care. Most of us would agree on the principle; it is the implementation that has everyone befuddled. It’s not just that the implementation of the ACA has been marked by cronyism, bad decisions, failures, fraud, political floundering, lies and stealth taxes. It is that the…
March 13, 2014
Every American citizen should have access to affordable, quality health care. Most of us would agree on the principle; it is the implementation that has everyone befuddled. It’s not just that the implementation of the ACA has been marked by cronyism, bad decisions, failures, fraud, political floundering, lies and stealth taxes. It is that the…
March 13, 2014
The federal government continues to provide guidance on various aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the 2010 legislation known as “Obamacare.”
March 10, 2014
The Obama administration is relying on various federal agencies and organizations to help implement the complex rules under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the comprehensive health care legislation otherwise known as “Obamacare.” Naturally, the IRS is expected to play a major role, including enforcement of the penalties for failing to obtain minimum…
March 7, 2014
On March 5, the government released a second set of comprehensive regulations relating to the controversial health care legislation. Previously, regulations had extended the employer mandate for certain mid-sized firms by one year to January 1, 2016, while all responsible firms had benefited from a prior one-year delay. Now, following an earlier reprieve, the grace…
March 6, 2014
On February 11, the Treasury Department rolled out a new round of changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The changes will affect medium and large employers, as well as some teachers and volunteer workers. Here are the highlights: