Treasury Regulations

As previewed by the recent final Form W-4 regulations published in October (see earlier coverage), the IRS released a draft of Publication 15-T (Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods) on November 17.  The publication provides a new computational method for employers who must continue to rely on pre-2020 Forms W-4…
Continue Reading Draft Publication 15-T Provides Additional Details on Form W-4 Computations

In 1987, the IRS released Notice 87-7 providing guidance on whether certain recipients of payments from employer deferred compensation plans, individual retirement plans, and commercial annuities are subject to federal income tax withholding under section 3405.  The notice provided that:

  • payors must withhold on periodic and nonperiodic payments under section 3405(a) or 3405(b), respectively, to payees that provide a residence address outside the United States;
  • payors must withhold on periodic and nonperiodic payments under section 3405(a) or 3405(b), respectively, to payees that provide a residence address inside the United States, unless the payee has elected no withholding in accordance with section 3405; and
  • payors must withhold on periodic and nonperiodic payments under section 3405(a) or 3405(b), respectively, to payees that provide a residence address outside the United States.

Continue Reading Proposed 3405 Withholding Regulations Three Decades in the Making

On May 23, the IRS and Treasury released final regulations governing certified professional employer organizations (“CPEOs”).  CPEOs were created by the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014, P.L. 113-295, which added new Code sections 3511 and 7705 that contain certification requirements for, and the federal employment tax consequences of, being a CPEO.  The measure, passed with support from the PEO industry, eliminates the requirement for a CPEO to restart the FICA and FUTA wage base when an employee is onboarded from the worksite employer to the CPEO pursuant to a new contract between the worksite employer and the CPEO.  The same applies when the contract is terminated and employees move from the payroll of the CPEO to that of the worksite employer.  The regulations also clarify that the CPEO is solely liable for employment taxes due on remuneration paid by the CPEO.
Continue Reading Final CPEO Rules Signal Loosened Bond Requirements, Clarify Other Provisions