Impacts of the CARES Act on employee benefit plan distributions

Read this if your company is a benefit plan sponsor.

While plan sponsors have been able to amend their 401(k) plans to include a post-tax deferral contribution called Roth for more than a decade, only 86% of plan sponsors have made it available to participants, according to the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Meanwhile, despite the potential benefits of such plans, just a quarter of participants who have access to the Roth 401(k) option use it. Plan sponsors may want to consider adding a Roth 401(k) option to their lineup because of the potential tax benefits and other advantages for plan participants.

A well-designed Roth 401(k) may be an attractive option for many plan participants, and it is important for plan sponsors considering such a feature to design the plan with the needs of their workforce in mind. It is also critical to clearly communicate the differences from the pre-tax option, specific timing rules required, and the tax-free growth it offers. Additionally, plan sponsors should be mindful of potential administrative costs and other compliance requirements in connection with allowing the Roth option.

Roth 401(k)s: The basics

A Roth is a separate contribution source within a 401(k) or 403(b) plan that differs from traditional retirement accounts because it allows participants to contribute post-tax dollars. Since participants pay taxes on these contributions before they are invested in the account, plan participants may make qualified withdrawals of Roth monies on a tax-free basis, and their accounts grow tax-free as well.

Participants of any income level may participate in a Roth 401(k) and may contribute a maximum of $20,500 in 2022—the same limit as a pre-tax 401(k). Contributions and earnings in a Roth 401(k) may be withdrawn without paying taxes and penalties if participants are at least 59½ and it’s been at least five years since the first Roth contribution was made to the plan. Participants may make catch-up contributions after age 50, and they may split their contributions between Roth and pre-tax. Similar to pre-tax 401(k) accounts, Roth 401(k) assets are considered when determining minimum distributions required at age 72, or 70 ½ if they reached that age by Jan. 1, 2020.

Only employee elective deferrals may be contributed post-tax into Roth 401(k) accounts. Employer contributions made by the plan sponsor, such as matching and profit sharing, are always pre-tax contributions. If the plan allows, participants may convert pre-tax 401(k) assets into a Roth account, but it is critical to remember that doing so triggers taxable income and participants must be prepared to pay any required tax. In addition, plan sponsors must be careful to offer Roth 401(k)s equally to all participants rather than just a select group of employees.

Qualified distributions from a designated Roth account are excluded from gross income. A qualified distribution is one that occurs at least five years after the year of the employee’s first designated Roth contribution (counting the first year as part of the five) and is made on or after age 59½, on account of the employee’s disability, or on or after the employee’s death. Non-qualified distributions will be subject to tax on the earnings portion only, and the 10% penalty on early withdrawals may apply to the part of the distribution that is included in gross income. Participants may take out loans if permitted in the plan document. 

First steps for plan sponsors

A common misconception among plan sponsors is that a Roth offering requires a completely different investment vehicle. The feature is simply an added contribution option; therefore, no separate product is needed.

When considering the addition of a Roth 401(k) option, it is important for plan sponsors to check with service providers to determine whether payroll may be set up properly to add a separate deduction for the participant. Plan sponsors may also need to consider guidelines for conversions, withdrawals, loans, and other features associated with the Roth contribution source to ensure the plan document is prepared and followed accurately.

Education is an important component of any new plan feature or offering. Plan sponsors should check with service providers to see how they may help to explain the feature and optimize its rollout for the plan. One-on-one meetings with participants may be very helpful in educating them about a Roth account.

A word about conversions

If permitted by the plan document, participants may convert pre-tax 401(k) plan assets (deferrals and employer contributions) to the Roth source within their plan account. The plan document may allow for entire account conversions or just a stated portion. When assets are converted, participants must pay income taxes on the converted amount, and the additional 10% early withdrawal tax won’t apply to the rollover. Plan sponsors should educate participants on the benefits of converting to the Roth inside the company 401(k).

Collaborate with the right service providers to educate your participants

The right service providers may review your current plan design, set up accounts properly, actively engage and educate your participants, and offer financial planning based on individual circumstances to show how design features like a Roth account may benefit their situation. If you would like to start the conversation about adding a Roth option or enhancing your participant education program, contact our employee benefits team. We are here to help. 

What are the top three areas of improvement right now for your business? In this third article of our series, we will focus on how to increase business value by aligning values, decreasing risk, and improving what we call the “four C’s”: human capital, structural capital, social capital, and consumer capital.

To back up for a minute, value acceleration is the process of helping clients increase the value of their business and build liquidity into their lives. Previously, we looked at the Discover stage, in which business owners take inventory of their personal, financial, and business goals and assemble information into a prioritized action plan. Here, we are going to focus on the Prepare stage of the value acceleration process.

Aligning values may sound like an abstract concept, but it has a real world impact on business performance and profitability. For example, if a business has multiple owners with different future plans, the company can be pulled in two competing directions. Another example of poor alignment would be if a shareholder’s business plans (such as expanding the asset base to drive revenue) compete with personal plans (such as pulling money out of the business to fund retirement). Friction creates problems. The first step in the Prepare stage is therefore to reduce friction by aligning values.

Reducing risk

Personal risk creates business risk, and business risk creates personal risk. For example, if a business owner suddenly needs cash to fund unexpected medical bills, planned business expansion may be delayed to provide liquidity to the owner. If a key employee unexpectedly quits, the business owner may have to carve time away from their personal life to juggle new responsibilities. 

Business owners should therefore seek to reduce risk in their personal lives, (e.g., life insurance, use of wills, time management planning) and in their business, (e.g., employee contracts, customer contracts, supplier and customer diversification).

Intangible value and the four C's

Now more than ever, the value of a business is driven by intangible value rather than tangible asset value. One study found that intangible asset value made up 87% of S&P 500 market value in 2015 (up from 17% in 1975). Therefore, we look at how to increase business value by increasing intangible asset value and, specifically, the four C’s of intangible asset value: human capital, structural capital, social capital, and consumer capital. 

Here are two ways you can increase intangible asset value. First of all, do a cost-benefit analysis before implementing any strategies to boost intangible asset value. Second, to avoid employee burnout, break planned improvements into 90-day increments with specific targets.

At BerryDunn, we often diagram company performance on the underlying drivers of the 4 C’s (below). We use this tool to identify and assess the areas for greatest potential improvements:

By aligning values, decreasing risk, and improving the four C’s, business owners can achieve a spike in cash flow and business value, and obtain liquidity to fund their plans outside of their business.

If you are interested in learning more about value acceleration, please contact the business valuation services team. We would be happy to meet with you, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with information on upcoming value acceleration presentations.

Read this if you are a Maine business or pay taxes in Maine.

Maine Revenue Services has created the new Maine Tax Portal, which makes paying, filing, and managing your state taxes faster, more efficient, convenient, and accessible. The portal replaces a number of outdated services and can be used for a number of tax filings, including:

• Corporate income tax
• Estate tax
• Healthcare provider tax
• Insurance premium tax
• Withholding
• Sales and use tax
• Service provider tax
• Pass-through entity withholding
• BETR

The Maine Tax Portal is being rolled out in four phases, with two of the four phases already completed. Most tax filings for both businesses and individuals are now available. A complete listing can be found on maine.gov. Instructional videos and FAQs can also be found on this site.

In an effort to educate businesses and individuals on the use of the new portal, Maine Revenue Services has been hosting various training sessions. The upcoming schedule can be found on maine.gov. 

Read this if you are a financial institution with income tax credit investments.

Financial institutions and other businesses that participate in tax credit investments designed to incentivize projects that produce social, economic, or environmental benefits could benefit from proposed rules that simplify the accounting treatment of such investments and result in a clearer picture of how these investments impact their bottom lines.

FASB proposal

On August 22, 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), issued a proposal that would broaden the application of the accounting method currently available to account for investments in low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) programs to other equity investments used to generate income tax credits. The proposal, titled “Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Accounting for Investments in Tax Credit Structures Using the Proportional Amortization Method”, would expand the eligibility of the proportional amortization method of accounting beyond LIHTC programs to other tax credit structures that meet certain eligibility criteria.  

FASB introduced the option to apply the proportional amortization method to account for investments made primarily for the purpose of receiving income tax credits and other income tax benefits in ASU 2014-01. However, the guidance limited the proportional amortization method to investments in LIHTC structures.

The proportional amortization method is a simplified approach for accounting for LIHTC investments in which the initial cost of the investment is amortized in proportion to the income tax credits and other benefits received (allocable share of depreciation deductions). The cost basis amortization and income tax credits received are presented net on the investor’s income statement as a component of income tax expense (benefit). Under existing guidance, investments in non-LIHTC projects are accounted for using either the equity method or cost method, depending on certain factors. 

The proposal aims to address the concerns that the equity and cost methods do not offer a fair representation of the economic characteristics for investments for which returns are primarily related to federal income tax credits. Supporters of the proposal argue that the accounting method applied should not be determined by the legislative program under which the tax credits are authorized, but instead by the economic intent under which the investment was made. The hope is the FASB proposal will create a heightened sense of uniformity in accounting for investments in income tax credit structures. 

Additional provisions

Other provisions within the proposal would require a reporting entity to “make an accounting policy election to apply the proportional amortization method on a tax-credit-program-by-tax-credit-program basis” and disclose the nature of its tax equity investments and the impact on its financial position and results of operations. 

The significance of this proposal is amplified by the uptick in tax credit programs in recent years, including the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC), Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HTC), and Renewable Energy Tax Credit (RETC). While the FASB has yet to declare an effective date for the implementation of the proposal, comment letters from stakeholders were due October 6, 2022. 

For more information

To discuss the impact this new accounting pronouncement may have on your financial institution, please contact the BerryDunn Financial Services team. We’re here to help.

This is our second of five articles addressing the many aspects of business valuation. In the first article, we presented an overview of the three stages of the value acceleration process (Discover, Prepare, and Decide). In this article we are going to look more closely at the Discover stage of the process.

In the Discover stage, business owners take inventory of their personal, financial, and business goals, noting ways to increase alignment and reduce risk. The objective of the Discover stage is to gather data and assemble information into a prioritized action plan, using the following general framework.

Every client we have talked to so far has plans and priorities outside of their business. Accordingly, the first topic in the Discover stage is to explore your personal plans and how they may affect business goals and operations. What do you want to do next in your personal life? How will you get it done?

Another area to explore is your personal financial plan, and how this interacts with your personal goals and business plans. What do you currently have? How much do you need to fund your other goals?

The third leg of the value acceleration “three-legged stool” is business goals. How much can the business contribute to your other goals? How much do you need from your business? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your business? How do these compare to other businesses? How can business value be enhanced? A business valuation can help you to answer these questions.

A business valuation can clarify the standing of your business regarding the qualities buyers find attractive. Relevant business attractiveness factors include the following:

• Market factors, such as barriers to entry, competitive advantages, market leadership, economic prosperity, and market growth
• Forecast factors, such as potential profit and revenue growth, revenue stream predictability, and whether or not revenue comes from recurring sources
• Business factors, such as years of operation, management strength, customer loyalty, branding, customer database, intellectual property/technology, staff contracts, location, business owner reliance, marketing systems, and business systems

Your company’s performance in these areas may lead to a gap between what your business is worth and what it could be worth. Armed with the information from this assessment, you can prepare a plan to address this “value gap” and look toward your plans for the future.

If you are interested in learning more about value acceleration, please contact the business valuation services team. We would be happy to meet with you, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with information on upcoming value acceleration presentations.

Next up in our value acceleration series is all about what we call the four C's of the value acceleration process. 

Read this if you are a broker-dealer. 

Effective January 1, 2023, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and other industry self-regulatory organizations adopted certain changes to the securities industry continuing education (CE) and registration rules to train registered persons more effectively.

These upcoming changes, which include the annual Regulatory Element for each registration category and the extension of the Firm Element to all registered persons, are expected to help make sure all registered persons receive timely and relevant training. See below for some of these changes.

Firms should begin to prepare now for these changes. FINRA and the CE Council are committed to developing resources and guidance to support firms as they assess their education needs and develop their training requirements. FINRA is committed to providing more information as it becomes available. 

What can you do now to comply with these upcoming rule changes by January 1, 2023?
Review FINRA’s Regulatory Notice 21-41 and FINRA’s CE Transformation resource page to become familiar with upcoming changes. Review the 2023 Regulatory Element topics on FINRA’s website.

If you have any questions about your specific situation or would like more information, please contact our Broker-dealers team. We're here to help. 

This is the first article in our five-article series that reviews the art and science of business valuation. The series is based on an in-person program we offer from time to time.  

Did you know that just 12 months after selling, three out of four business owners surveyed “profoundly regretted” their decision? Situations like these highlight the importance of the value acceleration process, which focuses on increasing value and aligning business, personal, and financial goals. Through this process, business owners will be better prepared for business transitions, and therefore be significantly more satisfied with their decisions.

Here is a high-level overview of the value acceleration process. This process has three stages, diagrammed here:

The Discover stage is also called the “triggering event.” This is where business owners take inventory of their situation, focusing on risk reduction and alignment of their business, personal, and financial goals. The information gleaned in this stage is then compiled into a prioritized action plan utilized in future stages.

In the Prepare stage, business owners follow through on business improvement and personal/financial planning action items formed in the discover stage. Examples of action items include the following:

• Addressing weaknesses identified in the Discover stage, in the business, or in personal financial planning
• Protecting value through planning documents and making sure appropriate insurance is in place
• Analyzing and prioritizing projects to improve the value of the business, as identified in Discover stage
• Developing strategies to increase liquidity and retirement savings

The last stage in the process is the Decide stage. At this point, business owners choose between continuing to drive additional value into the business or to sell it.

Through the value acceleration process, we help business owners build value into their businesses and liquidity into their lives.

If you are interested in learning more about value acceleration, please contact the business valuation services team. We would be happy to meet with you, answer any questions you may have, and provide you with information on upcoming value acceleration presentations.

Read more! In our next installment of the value acceleration blog series, we cover the Discover stage.