According to the IRS, a highly compensated employee is someone who either owned more than 5% of the interest in the business at any time during the year or the preceding year (regardless of how much compensation that person earned or received) or, received more than $155,000 in compensation...
Golden parachute payments.(tax treatment of highly compensated employee severance payments made in conjunction with business acquisitions)Powers, Kevin F
Restorative benefits and equity-based performance plans for highly compensated executivesTAX / EMPLOYEE BENEFITS