Tax Law Insights

A recent Tax Court decision suggests that employers may want to review their 401(k) plan loan programs and payroll practices. In Louelia Salomon Frias and Mervyngil Salomon v. Commissioner, TC Memo 2017-139 (July 11, 2017), the Tax Court held that an employee on maternity leave: (1) defaulted on her 401(k) plan loan; (2) failed to cure the default within the applicable cure period; and (3) as a result, there was a "deemed distribution" of the outstanding balance of the loan plus accrued interest which was taxable to the employee.

As described below, the loan default language in the ...