#employee-benefits
Discover employee benefit options to attract talent and reduce turnover in small businesses
The DOL expects certified mail, record checks, beneficiary contact, and free online searches — and IRS Rev. Rul. 2019-19 taxes a 401(k) check never cashed.
No federal penalty ($0), but CA, MA, NJ, RI, and D.C. still charge $300–$4,908 per person — plus separate state employer filings.
An ERISA fidelity bond protects the plan from theft, not you. Fiduciary liability insurance covers 401(k) breach-of-duty claims for $500–$2,500 a year.
A QSEHRA lets employers under 50 FTEs reimburse individual health premiums tax-free — up to $6,450 self-only in 2026, with the IRS 90-day notice filed.
Switching 401(k) recordkeepers freezes accounts — ERISA requires a blackout notice 30 to 60 days ahead, or the DOL can assess $173 per participant per day.
To close a 401(k) when selling or shutting down: board resolution, full vesting, distribute within 12 months, file a final Form 5500.
A 9/80 schedule stacks 44 hours into one workweek unless you start the workweek mid-Friday — the FLSA never averages two weeks, so four overtime hours accrue.
IRS rules: gift cards to employees are cash equivalents, never de minimis — report face value as supplemental wages on Form W-2 with 22% withholding.
Form 5500 is due July 31 for calendar-year plans; IRS late penalties run $250 a day up to $150,000, but DFVCP caps small-plan relief at $1,500.
A one-employee Section 105 HRA lets a sole proprietor deduct the family's medical spend — premiums included — against income and self-employment tax.
Your 1099-SA Box 1 total isn't a tax bill: Form 8889 nets it against qualified medical expenses, and nonmedical withdrawals under age 65 draw the extra 20%.
ACA affordability hits a record 9.96% for 2026 plan years and the Medicare Part D notice is due before October 15 — the small employer's full checklist.
