Santa may be making a list and checking it twice, but employers have to check their ALE status and prepare to file forms!
Employers of all sizes need to take stock by calculating the number of full-time and full-time equivalent employees for the year 2016. If the average meets or exceeds 50, the employer will be an applicable large employer, or ALE, for 2017.
Determination of ALE status is done on a calendar year basis. It is not done based on an employer’s health plan renewal date. Importantly, employers that don’t currently offer a health plan must make this assessment!
The end of the year also has employers assembling the information necessary to complete Forms W-2 for employees. And, effective with the New Year, employers have this one filing deadline for both employee and agency copies of this form. These are due to be distributed by January 31, 2017. More details on this filing change can be found here.
One crunch employers faced has been eased by a recent IRS delay in the filing deadline for ACA’s 1095-C forms. Notice 2016-70 provides a 30 day extension to the due date for furnishing the 1095-B and 1095-C forms to individuals. These must be provided by March 2, 2017 rather than January 31, 2017.
This delay is particularly helpful for employers who use the W-2 safe harbor to determine whether health coverage was affordable for employees. Without a delay, employers would have to gather the wage data for the Form W-2 and apply that information to the 1095-C reporting regarding the safe harbor so that the two forms – W-2 and 1095-C could be issued to meet the January 31 deadline.
Compliance NOW! 