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Mar31No Comments
A Section 125 Cafeteria Plan is a great way for employers to offer benefits that it could not otherwise afford to provide. Because the benefits are offered on a pre-tax basis, the premiums essentially cost the employee less than they would if s/he were purchasing this benefit on his or her own with after-tax dollars.
Disability benefits are among the benefits that can be offered under a Section 125 Cafeteria Plan. So, if the employee is hurt or becomes ill, and is unable to work, he or she can collect on the plan and have funds available for living expenses.
But one thing that the employee needs to be aware of is that disability coverage paid for under a Cafeteria Plan can reduces the benefits he gets. This is because the employee pays the premiums with pre-tax dollars; that is, the dollars used to pay for that disability insurance policy were never taxed. If these benefits are therefore paid, the IRS would require its share of the revenue on the back end, making the disability benefit taxable. With a substantial portion of your benefits taken out for taxes, this would leave a paltry amount for support during your recovery period.
But had you secured a disability insurance policy out of your own pocket, or even acquired one through your employer but with the contribution made using after-tax income, the benefits paid out to you would have been absolutely free of tax.
How exactly does taxation in this case go?If the insurer pays the benefits directly to you, it may take withholding, FICA, and Medicare directly out of the payments it makes to you. The gross amount of the benefits payment will be entered into you Form W-2 under the taxable income column. Or, it could also be that you’ll have to separately file the disability insurance benefits under another Form W-2. If you’d rather not pay the whole amount come April 15 the following year, it’s best to have the taxes deducted from the benefit payments before these are paid to you, if this option is available. Sometimes the employee gets benefits and doesn’t realize they’re taxable until the W-2 or 1099 arrives the next January?and then, it’s too late.
Of course, the benefits won’t be taxed at 100%, and it’s certainly better to have taxable disability benefits than to have no safety net at all in the event you become hurt. The important thing is you still have some amount to tide you over.
If getting disability insurance through a cafeteria plan is the only affordable option open to you for the time being, then just do it. But if at all possible, try to get your disability policy – or an additional disability policy – on your own, outside of the Section 125 Cafeteria plan.
Yet while it’s all good to be prepared, the best thing would be if you won’t ever have to use your disability policy. And since the tax advantages are only one of the considerations in a Section 125 Plan, both employers and employees should seek advice from a professional when considering the benefits to be included in a cafeteria plan.
Give us a visit at http://taxfreepremiums.com to discover more about the benefits included and the resulting tax savings a Section 125 Plan offers. You can also learn more about our automatic document solution that can give timely and cost-effective updates to your Section 125 POP plan document.
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Mar18
Section 125 POP Plan: Documents Needed for Implementation and Compliance
Filed under: Insurance; Tagged as: cafeteria plans, health care coverage, health insurance, Insurance, pop compliance, pop plan documents, pop plans, section 125 plan documents, section 125 plans, section 125 pop planNo CommentsEmployers and their employees can save much on tax costs with the help of a Section 125 POP Plan. It doesn’t matter if there is only one or thousands of employees, all kinds of employers can sponsor POP plans and benefit from the tax savings that can be had.
Sad to say though, Section 125 POP plans remain underrated and underutilized by most businesses. Why is that? It’s difficult to understand why this tax saving scheme thought of by the government which is supposed to increase the employees’ net pay and at the same time shore up more funds for a company’s operational needs would have few takers.
The truth is, not too many people are familiar with Section 125 plans and the many benefits that can be had from implementing one. In addition to knowing little about these employee benefit programs, everyone is also mistakenly assuming that POP plans are complicated to set up and takes a lot of paperwork to maintain.
On the contrary though, an employer doesn’t have to jump hoops to sponsor a Section 125 POP. Nowadays, there are many service providers which can help with Section 125 POP Plan documents, both in starting a plan and staying in compliance, for an affordable fee.
If you are considering implanting a POP Section 125 plan in your organization, these are the basic documents and administrative procedures you need to comply with:
1. The POP Plan Document.
The POP Plan document is the very foundation of the Section 125 plan. This is where the specifics of the plan are indicated including the plan coverage, the applicable plan year, eligibility, and procedures for election .
2. Summary Plan Description or SPD.
The law requires that all participants of the plan and their dependents should be apprised of all the pertinent details of the Section 125 POP. Such important information, like the claim filing procedures and the details on plan administration, are outlined in the SPD. A copy of this document should then be given to the participant within 90 days of participation; or within 120 days of eligibility for beneficiaries.
This section is also to comply with Section 104b of the ERISA Act of 1974, which safeguards the participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans.
3. Compliance.
It is also important that the Document be updated if there are amendments to the legislation or changes in the original information submitted. For instance, if the company transfers to a new location, then a corresponding update in the Section 125 POP Plan document must be made to stay in compliance. Failure to meet the needed compliance requirements may result in the employer losing its tax-favored status.
Don’t miss out on the advantages that a POP Section 125 plan offers! Drop by our site and discover a reliable and cost-effective way of getting your POP Plan document ready and updated all the time.
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Mar15No Comments
The Section 125 Plan is a benefit program sponsored by the employer that gives employees the freedom to choose from an array of qualified benefits to be paid for on a pre-tax basis. It is termed as such because Section 125 is where the provision for the administration of these types of plans is found in the IRS or US Tax Code. Another term for a Section 125 Plan is the “Cafeteria Plan” plan because of its inherent feature that allows employees to make his selection from different benefit options, much as one would do in a cafeteria.
With a Section 125 Plan, employees can avail of various benefits. Health, life, and dental plan are the usual suspects, but employers can also run through products such as disability insurance, and funding for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), cancer insurance, and eye care, among others.
There are also rules about what types of employees can participate in a 125 Cafeteria Plan. Among those who are not eligible to participate are sole proprietors and shareholders of S Corporations owning at least 2%. The employer should also take pains to make sure that the 125 Cafeteria plan does not discriminate in favor of “highly compensated” or “key” employees. Both of these terms are extensively defined by the IRS, but essentially a plan can’t provide the lion’s share of benefits to officers or owner-employees without facing adverse tax consequences.
So why start a Section 125 Cafeteria Plan in the first place? The resulting tax savings is one of the biggest advantages. Because premiums for Cafeteria plans are withheld pre-tax, the employees’ deductions for Federal withholding, FICA tax, and Medicare taxes are reduced. The employee basically takes home a bigger paycheck without the employer increasing payroll costs.
Employers benefit, too: that reduction in the employee’s taxable income also translates to lower employer share of FICA and Medicare taxes, and lower FUTA taxes. Another advantage that comes from sponsoring a Section 125 Cafeteria Plan to employees is that the employer can offer a mishmash of benefits for his employees to just choose which they need most; these are benefits which most employer could ill-afford if not for Section 125. And because the benefit payments are pre-taxed, it costs the employee less to “buy” the benefits than it would if s/he did it on his or her own.
The biggest downside of Section 125 Cafeteria plans are the administrative requirements. You’ll need to prepare a plan document and keep it up to date to avoid running afoul of the IRS. You will probably want to get some legal and administrative help to keep the plan running smoothly. Then of course, there’s the cost of setting up and maintaining the plan. The National Conference of State Legislatures says the expense associated with a Section 125 Plan could amount to $100 per employee. But then again, the cost is more than offset by the savings in taxes.
So what is a Section 125 Plan? It’s an effective way to offer more benefits to your employees while getting some advantages in return.
Visit us to find out more about a Section 125 Plan, particularly the Premium Only Plan (POP). If you’ve already got an existing plan, then you can get more information on our automatic document solution that can provide timely and cost-effective updates to your Section 125 Plan Document.
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Jan29
The Most Vital Tips To Health Insurance To Look Out For
Filed under: Insurance; Tagged as: business, dental insurance, family, finance, Health, health insurance, healthcare, healthcare insurance, Insurance, insurance company, insurance coverage, insurance plan, insurance quote, medical insuranceNo CommentsUsually, because of how difficult or high priced a health insurance initiative is, a large private insurance company can supply the incentive by offering substantial discounts for the premium. Sometimes it could be the government who does this by providing subsidiaries. And then in some cases, the policies can be obtained on a group basis.
So many individuals don’t recognize the value of health insurance protection. They simply interested in their paychecks complete, so that when even their firms make any deducts from their salary, they can be very unhappy. Someway, they do not see what value it is having to go to the doctor’s freely with no incurring bills. If you are one of those persons, you make a mistake; believe me. Have you ever heard of Health is Happiness?
I have been covered for health for a long time since I have been with my earlier corporation. I honestly had no clue that I expended a lot on health and also medicals until I had to change corporations to a company that did not own this insurance policy coverage. Phew, boy! This health insurance policy is something. You should see yourself very lucky if your existing employment covers you here.
Many of us neither understand nor truly appreciate the concept of health insurance plan. In the usa, the practice has taken much root, but in a few other nations around the globe, lots of folks still need to be served unto it. Sometimes, big corporate organizations take the initiative, and some other times, the government does. What counts, in any event, is that the consumers are protected.
Occasionally a health insurance plan is taken by a corporation to protect its employees. Other times, the governing administration enforces everybody within a a number of cadre to get it, and after that protects partly for them. Health insurance is that crucial and may not be trifled with. If you don’t believe it is extremely important, than imagine being sick without a chance to access treatment – death will definitely be the summary in such situations.
Want to find out more about catastrophic health insurance, then visit our site on how to choose the best catastrophic health insurance coverage for your needs.
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Nov11
Car Insurance – A Necessity
Filed under: Insurance; Tagged as: auto insurance, auto insurance quotes, car insurance, car insurance quotes, health insurance, health insurance quotes, home insurance, home insurance quotes, Insurance, insurance quotes, life insurance, life insurance quotes, medical insurance quotes, travel insurance quotesNo CommentsAny insurance that covers a vehicle or an automobile driven on the road is called as car insurance policy. Owning a car these days is really a general feature. Thus, also the necessity to purchase insurance policy as it is required by law. Insurance Policy aims to cover losses caused because of equipment casualty or injury as a result of an accident. With the amount of vehicles raising on the road everyday, risks of road accidents cannot be ruled out. When you are confronted with such a situation, bearing no insurance coverage could result in you being penalised or imprisoned or your licence could be taken away. Hence, auto insurance is really essential.
Today, there are a lot of insurance companies having their personalized auto insurance schemes that offer coverage. The trouble lies in finding out which company offers the most appropriate coverage level to fit your necessities. The most essential element to consider here is the extent of coverage you are seeking. To find that good company to serve you is not a easy job. To check that you gain good coverage at an affordable premium, some measure of prior preparation is needed to be done with regard to insurance companies and the various rate plans that they provide. One way of doing this is by inspecting the company websites and getting the required info. Online company reviews are obtainable to aid you assess the companies better. There are several other internet sites which permit you to compare rates of different companies and aid you decide on the right policy at a reasonable premium.
In case you are confused as to what sort of car insurance policy to go for, you could take the advice of an insurance broker. These agents are experienced with the working of the insurance industry. They know what companies provide what policies and what would be suitable for you. The broker normally collects all the details like private information and driving history and presents it to the company for their reference. This will aid in calculating the quotations for the insurance coverage from which you could go in for the best possible plan.
The sorting of auto insurance policy is, on the basis of coverage, as insured party, insured vehicle and third party insurance. Each kind has its own advantages. The insured vehicle covers the damage caused to the vehicle. The insured party type covers medical benefits too. Third party insurance covers the automobile and the individuals involved in the mishap too. The sum of insurance coverage depends upon the car used, premium amount and specific demands of the proprietor.
Auto insurance policy has a great deal of benefits and can ensure you a sense of safety while driving. Being a extremely competitive industry, getting the right kind of coverage from a dependable insurance company is a challenge. One must take advantage of a mode like the Internet to collect all essential information and obtain the proper sort of exposure before buying insurance policy for your automobile. Remember, auto insurance is one of the most essential polices to obtain. It is a critical thing that can cost you quite a fortune if neglected.
If you live in UK and need a UK Medical Insurance quote. You can get a free quote using the Health Insurance Calculator online.
