COVID-19 Update August 28, 2020

August 28, 2020

Today, the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued guidance on implementing the Presidential Memorandum issued on Aug. 8, 2020, allowing employers to defer withholding and payment of the employee’s portion of the Social Security tax if the employee’s wages are below a certain amount. Today’s Notice 2020-65 makes relief available for employers and generally applies to wages paid starting September 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

The employee Social Security tax deferral may apply to payments of taxable wages to an employee that are less than $4,000 during a bi-weekly pay period, with each pay period considered separately. No deferral is available for any payment to an employee of taxable wages of $4,000 or above for a bi-weekly pay period. This will postpone the time for employers to withhold and pay employee Social Security taxes. Check their website for additional tax relief related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In other IRS news, they have temporarily stopped sending out “balance due” notices to taxpayers because they are so far behind in opening their mail.

Employers considering restarting business travel face competing obligations, including keeping their employees safe, complying with an evolving set of return-to-work laws, and driving business growth. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, but If you haven’t added protocols for employee travel (both work & personal trips) to your pandemic policy, such as quarantine time post-return, Delta is available to help with ensuring compliance.

Lastly, the landscape for recruiting has drastically evolved during COVID-19. HR managers are unexpectedly finding that hiring without face-to-face interviews can prove to be successful. Human Resource Information System (HRIS) software has helped keep things running smoothly.

Please keep the people of Louisiana and Texas in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. If you’d like to help, there are many local organizations that have stepped up to provide relief for this fallen community.

Have a great weekend!

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