Yesterday, the full House passed its tax reform proposal, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), on a party-line vote, 227-205.  In addition to the headline changes to the corporate and individual tax systems, the bill would make numerous changes to various fringe benefit exclusions, employer deductions for fringe benefits and executive compensation, cross-border withholding and sourcing, and employee retirement plans  (discussed here and here).  Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee advanced its tax reform proposal, also on a party-line vote (14-12), with similar changes.

Before advancing the proposal to the floor, the Senate Finance Committee adopted additional modifications to its existing proposal.  The new modifications included a change to the transition rule for the modified deduction limitation for executive compensation, a delay in the effective date of the new deduction disallowance for meals provided at the convenience of the employer and excluded from employee’s income under Code section 119 or 132(e)(6), and a definition of Mississippi River Delta flood disaster area and Mississippi River Delta flooding distribution for purposes of the retirement plan relief provided in the existing proposal:

  • The new transition relief for the deduction limitation under Code section 162(m) would apply the changes made in the proposal only to contracts entered into after November 2, 2017, and contracts materially modified after that date. The relief provided in the first modification to the chairman’s mark would have applied only if the compensation was no longer subject to a substantial risk of forfeiture before 2017.
  • The modification would delay the effective date for the deduction disallowance for meals provided for the employer’s convenience and meals provided at employer-operated eating facilities until 2026.
  • The modification defines “Mississippi River Delta flood disaster area” as an area subject to a Presidential major disaster declaration before March 31, 2016, by reason of severe storms and flooding occurring in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi during March 2016. A “Mississippi River Delta flooding distribution” is a distribution from an eligible retirement plan made on or after March 1, 2016, and before January 1, 2018, to an individual whose principal residence on March 1, 2016, was located in the Mississippi River Delta flood disaster area and who sustained an economic loss by reason of the severe storms and flooding that resulted in the Presidential disaster declarations.  (The modification also provides for an enhanced ability to claim a casualty loss deduction as a result of such storms and flooding.)
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Photo of Michael M. Lloyd Michael M. Lloyd

Michael Lloyd practices in the areas of tax and employee benefits with a focus on information reporting and withholding on cross-border payments (e.g., Forms 1042 and 1042-S) and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), backup withholding, employment taxation, the treatment of fringe benefits…

Michael Lloyd practices in the areas of tax and employee benefits with a focus on information reporting and withholding on cross-border payments (e.g., Forms 1042 and 1042-S) and Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), backup withholding, employment taxation, the treatment of fringe benefits, cross-border compensation, domestic information reporting (e.g., Forms W-2, 1099, 1095 series returns), penalty abatement, and general tax planning and controversy matters. Mr. Lloyd advises large U.S. and foreign multinationals regarding compliance with information reporting and withholding issues, as well as a range of other federal and state tax issues.

Photo of S. Michael Chittenden S. Michael Chittenden

Michael Chittenden practices in the areas of tax and employee benefits with a focus on the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), information reporting (e.g., Forms 1095, 1096, 1098, 1099, W-2, 1042, and 1042-S) and withholding, payroll taxes, and fringe benefits. Mr. Chittenden…

Michael Chittenden practices in the areas of tax and employee benefits with a focus on the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), information reporting (e.g., Forms 1095, 1096, 1098, 1099, W-2, 1042, and 1042-S) and withholding, payroll taxes, and fringe benefits. Mr. Chittenden advises companies on their obligations under FATCA and assists in the development of comprehensive FATCA and Chapter 3 (nonresident alien reporting and withholding) compliance programs.

Mr. Chittenden advises large employers on their employment tax obligations, including the special FICA and FUTA rules for nonqualified deferred compensation, the successor employer rules, the voluntary correction of employment tax mistakes, and the abatement of late deposit and information reporting penalties. In addition, he has also advised large insurance companies and employers on the Affordable Care Act reporting requirements in Sections 6055 and 6056, and advised clients on the application of section 6050W (Form 1099-K reporting), including its application to third-party payment networks.

Mr. Chittenden counsels clients on mobile workforce issues including state income tax withholding for mobile employees and expatriate and inpatriate taxation and reporting.

Mr. Chittenden is a frequent commentator on information withholding, payroll taxes, and fringe benefits and regularly gives presentations on the compliance burdens for companies.