As we head into the Fall, there has yet to be any significant legislation to come out of Washington D.C., especially as it relates to healthcare. This means the current ACA (Obama Care) regulations will likely remain in place for 2017, so keep this in mind as the year winds down and you begin to think about your annual reporting requirements.

Nevertheless, the following articles are important pieces of information I found for this month's newsletter that I think you will find helpful.

If we can be of any assistance to you and your ministry on anything related to your business and compliance obligations please don't hesitate to let us know.

Yours in His Service,

Steve Boersma

President/CEO

Beware of scams out there that claim they are from the IRS

 

When the IRS needs to contact a taxpayer, the first contact is normally by letter delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. The IRS doesn't normally initiate contact with taxpayers by email, nor does it send text messages or contact through social media channels.

The U.S. Supreme Court, in Advocate Health Care Network v. Stapleton, SCt., June 5, 2017, has held the position that a defined benefit plan maintained by a principal-purpose organization, controlled by or associated with a church for the administration or funding of a plan for the church's employees, qualifies as a "church plan," regardless of who established it under ERISA. (read more)

The IRS recently issued an updated fact sheet reminding employers of the importance of correctly classifying workers for purposes of employment taxes. Generally, employers must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay social security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to employees. Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor depends on a number of factors that fall into three categories: (read more)

For the second time in less than a year, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has published a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Employers can begin using the new form now but will be required to begin using only this new version (rev. 0/7/17/17 N) by September 18, 2017.  (read more)

Vacation Accrual During Leave

 

Question: Does the law require employers to continue to accrue vacation for an employee while he or she is on a leave of absence?

• Whether the leave is legally protected (such as pregnancy disability leave, family leave, or a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act) or simply a personal leave granted by the company but not required by law; and
• (read more)