Hurricane Milton has caused catastrophic damage to many parts of Florida. Less than two weeks earlier, Hurricane Helene victimized millions of people in multiple states across the southeastern portion of the country. The two devastating storms are among the many weather-related disasters this year. Indeed, natural disasters have led to significant losses for many taxpayers, … Read more
Early voting for the 2024 election has already kicked off in some states, but voters are still seeking additional information on the candidates’ platforms, including their tax proposals. The details can be hard to come by — and additional proposals continue to emerge from the candidates. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most notable … Read more
In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a final rule prohibiting most noncompete agreements with employees. The ban was scheduled to take effect on September 4, 2024, but ran into multiple court challenges. Now the court in one of those cases has knocked down the rule, leaving its future uncertain. The FTC ban The FTC’s … Read more
The IRS has published new regulations relevant to taxpayers subject to the “10-year rule” for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from inherited IRAs or other defined contribution plans. The final regs, which take effect in 2025, require many beneficiaries to take annual RMDs in the 10 years following the deceased’s death. SECURE Act ended stretch IRAs … Read more
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) 2.0 Act was signed into law in December 2022, bringing more than 90 changes to retirement plan and tax laws. Many of its provisions are little known and were written to roll out over several years rather than immediately taking effect. Here are several important changes … Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new final rule regarding the salary threshold for determining whether employees are exempt from federal overtime pay requirements. The threshold is slated to jump 65% from its current level by 2025 and is expected to make four million additional workers eligible for overtime pay. On the same … Read more
For the third consecutive year, the IRS has published guidance that offers some relief to taxpayers covered by the “10-year rule” for required minimum distributions (RMDs) from inherited IRAs or other defined contribution plans. But the IRS also indicated in Notice 2024-35 that forthcoming final regulations for the rule will apply for the purposes of determining … Read more
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) established and expanded numerous incentives to encourage taxpayers to increase their use of renewable energy and adoption of a range of energy efficient improvements. In particular, the law includes funding for nearly $9 billion in home energy rebates. While the rebates aren’t yet available, many states are expected to launch their programs … Read more
President Biden has released his proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year, including numerous tax provisions affecting both businesses and individual taxpayers. While most of these provisions have little chance of coming to fruition while the U.S. House of Representatives remains controlled by the Republican Party, they might gain new life depending on the outcome … Read more
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) test for determining whether a worker should be classified as an independent contractor or an employee for purposes of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has been revised several times over the past decade. Now, the DOL is implementing a new final rule rescinding the employer-friendly test that … Read more