News & Links

Workplace injuries can have a debilitating effect on employees and business operations. Establishing a workers’ compensation program that addresses industry-specific needs is vital across all occupations – construction, transportation, healthcare, professional services, retailers, manufacturers, and more. Industry complexities, coupled with federal and state laws, increase the need to work with an experienced and knowledgeable team. As a leader in wholesale workers’ compensation insurance, Agency Resources (AR) provides comprehensive solutions and the industry savvy you need to support the diverse needs of clients.

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New E-Payment Process: What to Expect

In early April, the Bureau will officially begin collecting premium payments on assigned risk
policies using E-Payment. This new E-Payment platform will be the preferred payment
method for assigned risk premium.

Please review this document to learn more about the following:

1. What to Expect: Photo guide of new e-payment process
2. FAQs

In order to prepare for these upcoming changes, agents should complete the following
preparation steps:
1. Contact your premium finance company partners to discuss the new process and
determine how they can accommodate the change
2. Ensure all individuals establish and/or update their ManageAR account with current
contact information

We’re looking forward to the new E-Payment solution and hope you enjoy the simplified
process as well. Please direct any questions to our information center at support@ncrb.org
or 919-582-1056.

Sincerely,
Jarred Chappell
Director, WC Operations

MAY 2019 RALEIGH – North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced that the MyDOi smartphone app has gone live, providing insurance agents with information they need to know at their fingertips, anywhere they can take their phone and have a data connection.

“I’ve made customer service a top priority as Insurance Commissioner,” Commissioner Causey said. “Now, agents across North Carolina will be able to look up information about continuing education and their own account while on the go by installing our app.

Agents can scan the MyDOi QR code from NCDOI.COM to load the application and access it from their mobile device.

Once agents have the app on their phone, they can interact with the Department of Insurance for vital information. Agents can use the app to:

◼ See their continuing education transcript
◼ Look up continuing education courses
◼ See continuing education providers
◼ Look up their National Producer Number (NPN)
◼ Get a contact number and email address for the Agent Services Division.
◼ Receive important agent notifications from the Department of Insurance.

Although consumers can contact the Department of Insurance and submit a complaint through the current version, plans are underway for the DOI to expand its consumer functions, making it a modern and easy method for engaging with the department.

Below you will also find a list of map information services that the Guilford County Planning and Development Department provides. All inquiries can be directed to Frank Park, the Floodplain Administrator at 336-641-3753.

Guilford County will assist in finding the following information:

• Whether the property is in an SFHA.
• The community number.
• The panel number and suffix.
• The date of the FIRM’s index (cover panel)
• The FIRM zone e.g., A, C, X, V, AE, A2, AO etc.
• The base flood elevation (the depth in AO Zones) where shown on the FIRM.
• The elevation datum used on the FIRM, if other than the NGVD.
• Floodway data.
• The approximate depth of flooding.
• Any historical information about the property that we may have.
• Any information about streams and wetlands on the property.

More information is available at:
Guilford County Floodplain Management: https://www.guilfordcountync.gov/our-county/planning-development/watershed-protection-stormwater-management/floodplain-management
National Flood Insurance Program: www.floodsmart.gov
NC Flood Insurance Rate Maps: http://fris.nc.gov/fris/Home.aspx?ST=NC
FEMA: https://www.fema.gov/national-flood-insurance-program

Here is some more information you may find helpful:
Guilford County Floodplain Educational Package
Guilford County Floodplain Education

If you have any questions or comments please contact Frank Park, Floodplain Administrator at 336-641-3753.

Lauren Pachman

In a major win for PIA National and small-business insurance agencies across the country, final regulations were issued on Friday, January 18, by the U.S. Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) saying that, for the most part, insurance agents are permitted to take the 20 percent pass-through deduction provided by the tax law passed at the end of 2017. Specifically, the regulations state that “insurance cannot be considered a financial service” for the purpose of taking the 20 percent pass-through tax deduction.

PIA National lobbied for the passage of the tax bill at the end of 2017 largely because of its improved treatment of S corporations, also known as pass-through corporations. After the bill was signed into law, however, it soon became clear that the law was ambiguous as to the application of the pass-through provision to insurance agents. There was the possibility that the owners of independent insurance agencies who file as S corporations might not be able to take advantage of the deduction created by the law. PIA National immediately sprang into action, meeting with congressional offices to ask that they weigh in with the administration on behalf of agents. PIA National provided comments to Treasury and the IRS encouraging them to issue a regulation that would clarify agents’ opportunity to take advantage of the pass-through provision.

The final regulations state that specified service trades or businesses, including “financial services,” are not permitted to take the deduction. These final regulations state that, in general, “financial services” do not include insurance, and therefore that insurance agents are permitted to take the deduction. This interpretation supports PIA National’s position on this issue.

Please note, however, that Treasury and the IRS declined to issue a categorical exclusion of all services provided by insurance agents from the definition of “financial services,” because they recognized that some agents do engage in activities (such as managing wealth, advising clients with respect to finances, etc.) that are considered “financial services” for the purpose of this law. Those agents engaged in activities that are classified as “financial services” pursuant to the tax law are not eligible for the deduction.

The timing of the final rule makes it possible for pass-through entities to take advantage of the deduction in their 2018 tax filings.