ACA Employer Reporting Update: Employee Statements and IRS Reports Likely Still Must Be Filed Even if the Law Is Repealed Quickly
Presenter: Christine Williams, founder, HealthPlanPlainTalk.com
Who Should Attend? HR, employee benefits, financial officers, in-house counsel, and CEOs
Despite the recent election results, it is likely that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employer reports to the IRS and statements to employees will still be required. The extended deadline for statements to employees is March 2, 2017 and the deadline for reports to the IRS is still February 28, 2017 for employers filing on paper and March 31, 2017 for those filing electronically. There are a number of changes to the reporting requirements from last year, and many clarifications of problematic issues. In addition, the good faith transition relief from penalties that was available last year has been extended to this year's reporting obligations.
The IRS has clarified its position on employer solicitation of social security numbers (SSNs), somewhat easing employer fears that employees' refusal to provide accurate SSNs for dependents could result in large penalties. There have also been clarifications on employer reporting obligations for employees who have coverage under more than one minimum essential coverage (MEC) plan and counting hours of service for employees on disability leave. There are also new codes to report conditional offers of coverage to spouses. In other guidance, the IRS has announced the indexed affordability percentage for 2017 and has issued rules addressing the effect of opt-out payments and certain flex credits on the affordability calculation.
Please join Christine Williams as she helps employers prepare for the statements and reports to be filed in 2017 and consider whether changes in their health plans or their data collection methods may be advisable.
This webinar will cover the recent IRS activity, including the following questions:
What has changed on the reporting forms and will information that was not required for 2015 reporting be required for 2016 reports?
What is a conditional offer to a spouse or dependent?
If employees will not provide accurate SSNs for dependents, what must an employer do in order to avoid penalties?
Are employers allowed to truncate Employer Identification Numbers on employee statements?
What are the rules for reporting health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) coverage for employees who also have other coverage?
Will opt-out payments and flex credits affect the determination of affordability?
What are the most common errors the IRS is finding in 2015 reports?
Your conference leader for "Employee Statements and IRS Reports Likely Still Must Be Filed Even if the Law Is Repealed Quickly" is Christine Williams. Ms. Williams has worked in the employee benefits field since 1987, both in private practice and as in-house counsel to a Fortune 100 company, and recently founded HealthPlanPlainTalk.com, an online resource for benefit plan sponsors and employee benefit professionals. She has extensive experience with all types of health and welfare plans, and was the editor and a contributing author of HIPAA Portability, Privacy, & Security, published by the Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA), a division of Thomson Reuters, and is now a contributor to that publication. She was a contributing author of Health Care Reform for Employers and Advisors, also published by EBIA. She has provided advice on HIPAA, health care reform, and benefit plan compliance to a wide range of health plans, employers that sponsor health plans, and business associates, and she regularly teaches seminars for employee benefit professionals. Before moving into employee benefits, Ms. Williams was a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Law. She earned her J.D. degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law.