Let’s face it, many small businesses would love to offer retirement and healthcare benefits to their employees, especially owner employees. In addition to the obvious benefits (healthcare coverage and tax-deferred retirement savings), providing healthcare and retirement benefits to owner employees through a business can shift non- or partially deductible personal expenses to fully tax-deductible business expenses. Even for non-owner employees, these types of benefits are a great way to provide additional compensation without incurring additional payroll taxes. As with everything tax and business related, however, there are rules and employers must be careful to follow them, especially when it comes to what types of benefit plans are offered and to whom.
Providing healthcare and retirement benefits is expensive which is why many small business owners would like to be able to limit who receives them. But if you think providing benefits is expensive not paying attention to the rules for providing them can be even more expensive. To ensure your clients’ benefits plans remain tax deductible, it is important to understand the federal, state, and local labor and tax laws that affect the plans. This article provides an overview of what small employers and their advisors need to consider when evaluating potential benefits options and takes a more in-depth look at the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) non-discrimination provisions that are most likely to affect small employers.
