April 9, 2014
According to a new study by the American Health Policy Institute (AHPI), it could cost some businesses almost $6,000 extra per employee. The report, “The Cost of the Affordable Care Act to Large Employers.” draws on internal cost data shared with AHPI by over 100 large employers (10,000 or more employees each) doing business in…
April 7, 2014
For many employers, a zero-tolerance approach to drug use and random drug testing helps to ensure a safe, productive work environment. Yet more states are legalizing medical marijuana, and recreational use is legal in two others. A tangle of federal laws adds to the confusion. Being aware of the legal issues involved and the changing…
April 6, 2014
The IRS has been struggling in its efforts to close an estimated $385 billion “tax gap” between the amount that taxpayers owe and the amount they’ve actually paid. Now, to add another crushing weight, it has to ramp up Obamacare activities despite recent budget cutbacks.
April 4, 2014
Despite reports of a formal extension circulating in the media, March 31 was the last day that individuals could sign up for health insurance coverage for 2014 under the Obamacare mandate without risking a hefty financial penalty. Or was it?
March 28, 2014
Despite recent claims that the deadline for signing up for Obamacare would not be postponed beyond the initial March 31 deadline – the day before April Fool’s Day – the White House has finally caved into the pressure. According to a report in the Washington Post on March 25, the Obama administration is extending the…
March 26, 2014
The second month of legal recreational marijuana sales in Pueblo saw three more stores open and $4,000 less in sales tax revenues collected by the county.
March 26, 2014
The government seems to have worked out most of the kinks in www.healthcare.gov, the online site used to sign up for Obamacare. But it has yet to address another glitch that surfaced almost two years ago: Language in the law that prevents married taxpayers who file separate tax returns from qualifying for special tax subsidies.
March 24, 2014
When it first became clear that tax preparers – including CPAs – would have to be the front line in implementation of the Affordable Care Act, I voiced a lot of concerns. I doubted it would be possible for accounting professionals to serve as both trusted advisors and health insurance sales people.
March 13, 2014
Every American citizen should have access to affordable, quality health care. Most of us would agree on the principle; it is the implementation that has everyone befuddled. It’s not just that the implementation of the ACA has been marked by cronyism, bad decisions, failures, fraud, political floundering, lies and stealth taxes. It is that the…
March 13, 2014
The federal government continues to provide guidance on various aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the 2010 legislation known as “Obamacare.”
March 7, 2014
On March 5, the government released a second set of comprehensive regulations relating to the controversial health care legislation. Previously, regulations had extended the employer mandate for certain mid-sized firms by one year to January 1, 2016, while all responsible firms had benefited from a prior one-year delay. Now, following an earlier reprieve, the grace…
March 6, 2014
On February 11, the Treasury Department rolled out a new round of changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The changes will affect medium and large employers, as well as some teachers and volunteer workers. Here are the highlights: