Fringe Benefits
A fringe benefit is any type of payment that you pay to an employee for services they perform for your business. This guide will help you understand what fringe benefits are and their purpose.
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Fringe benefits are additional perks that employers offer to their employees as a way to build loyalty. They are also a great way to increase employee satisfaction and reduce turnover rates. They can be anything from onsite childcare to free food and gas cards. Before accepting a job, make sure you understand what the company offers regarding fringe benefits. Fringe benefits often help your employees feel more satisfied with their employment. However, you shouldn’t overdo it with the number of benefits that you offer. Some benefits, such as health insurance, may decrease employee satisfaction, while others, such as paid vacations, can increase satisfaction.
You can exclude the value of many fringe benefits from an employee’s taxable wages if they meet certain rules. These rules are called exclusions and can be found in section 2 of the Internal Revenue Code and its regulations. The value of most fringe benefits is determined by using the general valuation rule, which means that you must use the fair market value (FMV) of the benefit to calculate its taxable value. This FMV is the amount an employee would have to pay a third party in an arm’s-length transaction to purchase or lease the benefit.
Examples of Fringe Benefits
Fringe benefits can be an excellent way to attract new talent and satisfy current employees without sacrificing base salaries. They can also be a great way to demonstrate that you value your employees’ well-being and contributions to the bottom line. While many are very common (health insurance, workers’ comp), some may be more unusual. Examples include paid vacation, meal subsidization, and commuter benefits.
Among the most common types of fringe benefits are health insurance plans, 401(k) plans, pensions, and other retirement programs. A company may also offer other perks in addition to these standard employee offerings, such as flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and long-term care insurance.
How to Report Taxable Fringe Benefits?
Generally, employers report taxable fringe benefits on Form W-2 as wages. This includes, but is not limited to, bonuses, company-provided vehicles, and group term life insurance (with coverage that exceeds $50,000). IRS Publication 15-B, or Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits, provides guidance on how to account for fringe benefits when filing tax documents. It also lists items that may be excludable from an employee’s gross income, including qualified health plan benefits and certain achievement awards.
Another taxable fringe benefit is reimbursements for business vehicle expenses, such as fuel, tires, and maintenance. These payments are excluded from an employee’s taxable income if made under an accountable plan and used only for business reasons. However, the value of these reimbursements is taxable income unless they are substantiated by receipts for reasonable home office expenses. The employee’s use of these funds is consistent with his or her business duties. In addition, if a company reimburses its employees for travel to and from work, the value of that travel must be included in the employee’s income unless it is excludable under Code Section 105.
How to Calculate Fringe Benefits?
When calculating fringe benefits, you should consider the value of each benefit. This includes each benefit’s fair market value (FMV) and any costs you incur to provide it. As an example, if you offer a health insurance plan for your employees, it would be considered a fringe benefit. The FMV of this benefit would be $3,000 per year. You may also want to consider adding in paid time off or other non-taxable benefits, as these can lower an employee’s total taxable income. This could mean less taxes for the employee and lower payroll withholdings during the pay period. The value of your fringe benefits can also vary depending on the type of business you are in. For example, if you are in the medical field, your fringe benefits may be more valuable than if you are in the accounting or technology sector.
- To calculate your employees’ fringe benefit rate, you need to know their annual salary.
- Then, you must divide all the fringe benefits costs by their salary to determine the rate.
- For hourly employees, it’s a different process.
- You must first calculate their annual salary, which is calculated by multiplying their hourly rate by the number of weeks in a year and the number of hours worked each week.
- For salaried employees, you can calculate their fringe benefit rate by adding up the annual costs of all your fringe benefits and dividing it by their annual salary. Then, you can use this percentage to calculate their total taxable income.