Page 3 - TPM Newsletter JAN 2020

January 2020
IRS Issues 2020 Standard Mileage Rates
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued
the 2020 op onal standard mileage rates used
to calculate the deduc ble costs of opera ng an
automobile for business, charitable, medical or
moving purposes. Beginning January 1, 2020, the
standard mileage rate for the use of a car (van,
pickup or panel truck) will be 57.5 cents per mile,
down half a cent from 58 cents for 2019. The
rate for medical or moving purposes will decrease
three cents to 17 cents per mile, from 20 cents
in 2019. The rate for providing services for
charitable organiza ons remains unchanged at 14
cents a mile.
The standard mileage rate for business is based
on an annual study of the fi xed and variable costs
of opera ng an automobile. The rate for medical
and moving purposes is based on the variable
costs. Taxpayers always have the op on of
calcula ng the actual costs of using their vehicle
rather than using the standard mileage rates. For
addi onal informa on, call TPM or visit the IRS
website at www.irs.gov.
New Form W-4
The fi nalized version of the 2020 Form W-4,
Employee’s Withholding Cer fi cate is now
available at h ps://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf
The new W-4 form be er incorporates the
changes ushered in by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
allowing employees to more accurately es mate
the amount of tax they ask their employers to
withhold from their paychecks beginning in 2020.
The goal of the new design is also to balance
simplicity, accuracy and privacy for employees
while minimizing burden for employers and
payroll processors.
Allowances are no longer used for the redesigned
Form W-4, instead a specifi c withholding amount
is calculated by the employee. This change is
meant to increase transparency, simplicity, and
accuracy of the form. In the past, the value of a
withholding allowance was ed to the amount of
the personal exemp on. Due to changes in law,
currently you cannot claim personal exemp ons
or dependency exemp ons.
For more informa on about the new
W-4, go to h ps://www.irs.gov/newsroom/
faqs-on-the-2020-form-w-4#_blank
Timber Products Manufacturers Associa on
3
OSHA - Amputa ons in Manufacturing Industries
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupa onal Safety and Health
Administra on (OSHA) recently issued an updated Na onal
Emphasis Program (NEP) to focus agency inspec ons on
amputa on hazards in manufacturing industries. This direc ve
updates the 2015 NEP on amputa ons.
The NEP targets industrial and manufacturing workplaces where
employees are injured by unguarded or improperly guarded
machinery and equipment. NEPs focus agency enforcement
ac vity and do not create any new obliga on to employers.
The updated NEP:
V Revises targe ng methodology to include data from
amputa on repor ng requirements;
V Revises coding requirements for amputa on inspec ons in
the OSHA Informa on System; and
V Adds new appendices on amputa ons targe ng methodology
and North American Industry Classifi ca on System codes.
The emphasis program will run un l March 10, 2020, with a
three-month period of educa on and preven on outreach.
Enforcement ac vi es will begin a er the outreach period and
remain in eff ect un l canceled. OSHA-approved State Plans are
expected to have enforcement procedures that are at least as
eff ec ve as those in this instruc on.
Employers are already responsible for ensuring machines are
properly safeguarded to prevent worker amputa ons and other
fatal injuries. OSHA’s Machine Guarding webpage provides
compliance assistance resources to help employers iden fy
amputa on hazards, and follow required procedures to properly
guard sta onary and portable machines. h ps://www.osha.gov/SLTC/
machineguarding/standards.html
OSHA - Occupa onal Fatali es in 2018
The Bureau of Labor Sta s cs’ (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupa onal
Injuries Report, released on December 17, 2019, shows the rate
of fatal work injuries remained unchanged in 2018.
Tragically, uninten onal overdoses at work increased by 12
percent—the sixth consecu ve annual increase and a refl ec on
of the broader opioid crisis that our na on is facing. OSHA
teamed with the Na onal Safety Council on the release of
a toolkit to help employers address opioid abuse in their
workplaces and support workers in recovery.
Suicide at work increased by 11 percent in 2018. OSHA created a
new webpage with free and confi den al resources to help users
know who and how to call for help.
The report also showed a 14 percent decline in work-related
fatal falls from heights, the lowest total since 2013. Enforcement
eff orts helped abate more than 7,000 fall-related hazards in the
construc on industry.