In December, the American Payroll Association (APA) loudly voiced its concerns on the GOP’s “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” by penning a letter to the Congress lawmakers on the bill (H.R. 1). The letter enabled the APA to express concerns over the bill to a national audience and even influenced the final language of the bill.
The letter, co-signed by the APA’s Mike O’Toole, Esq. and Alice Jacobsohn, Esq., expressed concern over H.R. 1’s negative impact on the payroll withholding system and highlighted the “herculean task” that would be in store for payroll professionals in the new year. With the aid of the letter, the APA was able to impress upon Congress the need for a transition period for employers and payroll so there wouldn’t be such a massive change from 2017. APA’s proposal giving the IRS flexibility in setting withholding rules for 2018 made it into the final, approved bill .
In the days following the release of the letter on December 11, the APA was able to share their concerns with millions of Americans via national media. Highlights of the APA’s media coverage include:
The new bill is expected to be signed into law by President Trump in early January and will begin to immediately impact payroll and employers. Stay tuned to the APA and Pay News Now as we continue to monitor what payroll needs to know to remain compliant in the New Year.