The Importance of Preserving Tax-Preferred Status for Employer-Sponsored Health and Retirement Plans.

The future of employer-sponsored health and retirement plans may be at risk. For years, employers have struggled to maintain and pay for these plans despite the increasing compliance and financial burdens imposed by legislative and regulatory action. Now, as Congress begins to lay the foundation for comprehensive tax reform, the need to raise federal revenue may trump the continuation of the tax preferences for employer-provided health and retirement benefits. Recent actions illustrate that the drive for federal revenue may not be sufficiently tempered by the potential negative impact on employers and employees who must bear the brunt of these revenue-induced changes. This article considers the erosion of protections offered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the importance of maintaining the tax treatment of employer-provided benefits.