In coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which affected millions of individuals across the eastern United States, there are a number of potential programs that employers can implement in order to assist employees. We examine two such programs – the establishment of a major disaster leave sharing plan and tax-free qualified disaster relief payments – in our Client Alert, entitled Employee-Assistance Programs Available to Employers in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy.
IRS Announces Pension Plan Limitations for 2012
On October 20, 2011, the Internal Revenue Service published news release IR-2011-103, which details the cost-of-living adjustments for dollar limitations for pension plans and other retirement-related benefits for the 2012 tax year.
Of particular note for plan sponsors is the fact that the elective deferral limit has been increased from $16,500 to $17,000 and the annual limitation for contributions to defined contribution plans increased from $49,000 to $50,000. In addition, the annual compensation limit increased from $245,000 to $250,000. This is the first increase in those areas since the current limits went into effect for 2009.
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