Compensation is generally subject to federal income tax and FICA tax when compensation is actually paid to an employee. However, nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) may be subject to FICA taxation before federal income taxation under a FICA tax special timing
Compensation & Benefits Blog
The View from Proskauer on Developments in the World of Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation & ERISA Litigation
The Compensation & Benefits Blog, published by Proskauer Rose LLP, focuses on legal developments and regulatory updates related to employee compensation, retirement plans, and benefits administration. It covers topics such as ERISA compliance, qualified retirement plan limits, private investment fund regulations under ERISA, flexible spending accounts, and withdrawal liability issues affecting private equity funds and their portfolio companies. The blog addresses the intersection of labor and employment law with financial and investment considerations, providing insights on fiduciary duties, plan asset regulations, and litigation risks associated with employee benefit plans and private market investments.
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Trump Signs Executive Order Directing the DOL and SEC to Facilitate 401(k) Plan Access to Alternative Assets
On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order entitled “Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors” (the “Executive Order”), which directs the Department of Labor (the “DOL”) and the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to…
IRS Clarifies that Failure to Cash Checks Does Not Affect Withholding or Reporting
By Seth Safra & Tyler Forni
Revenue Ruling 2025‑15 (available here) provides guidance on withholding and reporting obligations when a plan participant or beneficiary fails to cash a distribution check and a replacement check is issued. As discussed below, the guidance is consistent with general constructive…
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Tax Reform): Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Breakdown
By Tyler Forni & Erik Hays
On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives passed legislation titled “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (the “House Bill”) (available here), which includes several tax reform provisions. The House Bill is now being considered by the Senate.
If passed…
District Court Interprets Multiemployer Plan Fee-Shifting Provision to Encompass Attorneys’ Fees and Costs Incurred in Related Litigation
A multiemployer plan that prevails in an action to collect delinquent contributions or withdrawal liability is statutorily entitled to recover reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs “of the action.” In International Painters & Allied Trades Industry Pension Fund v. Florida Glass…
DOL Rescinds 2022 Guidance Cautioning Against 401(k) Plan Investments in Cryptocurrencies
On May 28, 2025, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2025-01 which rescinds the DOL’s prior Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-1 which had warned 401(k) plan fiduciaries against adding cryptocurrencies as direct investment options under their…
Executive Use of Corporate Aircraft: Navigating Tax, SEC Disclosure and Other Key Considerations
Companies are increasingly allowing their chief executive officers and, in certain circumstances, other executives to use corporate jets (which may be chartered flights or fractionally or fully owned aircraft) for personal use due to various reasons. Although this benefit may…
Tenth Circuit Affirms Distinction Between Forfeiture and Penalty for Competition
By Seth Safra & Jake Lee
In Lawson v. Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the forfeiture of certain stock awards for violating a covenant not to compete. Like the Seventh Circuit in LKQ Corp. v. Rutledge(which…
Departments Press Pause on Final Mental Health Parity Regulations
Yesterday, the Departments of Labor, Treasury, and Health and Human Services announced a non-enforcement policy with respect to final regulations issued under the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (“MHPAEA”) in September 2024. The Departments recently indicated…
District Court Holds Pension Fund Misapplied Prior Partial Withdrawal Liability Credit
A federal district court in Illinois became the first court to rule that an employer’s credit for a prior partial withdrawal should be applied at the end of the statute’s “waterfall” for calculating withdrawal liability. The case is Consumers Concrete…