Fringe Benefit-The Benefit in Kind
Fringe benefits are benefits which employees or directors receive from their employment but which are not included in their salary cheque or wages. On the tax return form they are called 'benefits in kind'. They include such things as company cars, private medical insurance paid for by the employer and cheap or free loans.
The taxation of perquisites -- or fringe benefits -- provided by an employer to his employees, in addition to the cash salary or wages paid, is fringe benefit tax.
Any benefits -- or perks -- that employees (current or past) get as a result of their employment are to be taxed, but in this case in the hands of the employer.
Introduction of the Tax (India)
With the notification of the Finance Act, 2005, the Fringe Benefit Tax has become a law and every person falling within the definition of employer will now be required to comply with the provisions relating to the Fringe Benefit Tax.
Items covered under fringe benefits:
• As per the Finance Bill, fringe benefits shall be deemed to have been provided if the employer has incurred any expense or made any payment for the purposes of:
• entertainment;
• festival celebrations;
• gifts;
• use of club facilities;
• provision of hospitality of every kind to any person whether by way of food and beverage or in any other manner, excluding food or beverages provided to the employees in the office or factory;
• maintenance of guest house;
• conference;
• employee welfare;
• Use of health club, sports and similar facilities;
• sales promotion, including publicity;
• conveyance, tour and travel, including foreign travel expenses
• hotel boarding and lodging;
• repair, running and maintenance of motor cars;
• repair, running and maintenance of aircraft
• consumption of fuel other than industrial fuel;
• use of telephone;
• Scholarship to the children of the employees.
• The definition of 'Fringe Benefit' under the new chapter XII H (As per subsection (2) of section 115 WB of Income Tax Act, 1961), excludes-
a) any expenditure on or payment through paid vouchers, which are not transferable and usable only at eating joints or outlets.
b) Meal Pass is exempted from fringe benefit tax for the employers and is tax free for the employees
c) Meal Pass can be used for making payments both within and outside office premises.
Who pays fringe benefit tax?
• Under the proposed provisions, fringe benefit tax is payable by an employer who is either an individual or a Hindu undivided family engaged in a business or profession; a company; a firm; an association of persons or a body of individuals; a local authority; a sole trader, or an artificial juridical person.
• The tax is payable in respect of the value of fringe benefits provided or deemed to have been provided by an employer to his employees during the previous year.
• The value of fringe benefits so calculated, is subject to additional income tax in respect of fringe benefits at the rate of thirty per cent, as provided in section 115WA.
• The fringe benefit tax is payable by the employer even where he is not liable to pay income-tax on his total income computed in accordance with the other provisions of this Act.
• The benefit does not have to be provided by the employer directly for him to attract fringe benefit tax. Fringe benefit tax may still be applied if the benefit is provided by a third party or an associate of the employer or by under an arrangement with the employer.
Why fringe benefit tax?
• The taxation of perquisites -- or fringe benefits -- provided by an employer to his employees, in addition to the cash salary or wages paid, is subject to varying treatment in different countries.
• These benefits are either taxed in the hands of the employees themselves or the value of such benefits is subject to a 'fringe benefit tax' in the hands of the employer.
• The rationale for levying a fringe benefit tax on the employer lies in the inherent difficulty in isolating the 'personal element' where there is collective enjoyment of such benefits and attributing the same directly to the employee.
• This is so especially where the expenditure incurred by the employer is ostensibly for purposes of the business but includes, in partial measure, a benefit of a personal nature.
• Moreover, in cases where the employer directly reimburses the employee for expenses incurred, it becomes difficult to effectively capture the true extent of the perquisite provided because of the problem of cash flow in the hands of the employer.
• Therefore, the finance minister has proposed to adopt a two-pronged approach for the taxation of fringe benefits under the Income-tax Act.
• Perquisites which can be directly attributed to the employees will continue to be taxed in their hands in accordance with the existing provisions of section 17(2) of the Income-tax Act and subject to the method of valuation outlined in rule 3 of the Income-tax Rules.
• In cases, where attribution of the personal benefit poses problems, or for some reasons, it is not feasible to tax the benefits in the hands of the employee, it is proposed to levy a separate tax known as the fringe benefit tax on the employer on the value of such benefits provided or deemed to have been provided to the employees.
• For this purpose, a new Chapter XII-H is proposed to be inserted in the Income-tax Act containing sections 115W to 115WL, which provides for the levy of additional income tax on fringe benefits.
(FBT) Budget 2007-08
• Levy Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on employee stock option plans (ESOPs).
• levy service tax on rents of commercial properties
• Value the benefit in the form of `tour and travel' at 5 per cent instead of 20 per cent
• Value the benefit in the form of `hospitality' and `use of hotel boarding and lodging facilities', in the case of airline companies and shipping industry, at 5 per cent instead of 20 per cent;
• Exclude the expenses on free samples of medicines and of medical equipment distributed to doctors
• Exclude the expenses incurred on brand ambassador and celebrity endorsement; and
• Prescribe a threshold of Rs 1,00,000 under section 115WB(1)(c) so that only a contribution by an employer to an approved superannuation fund in excess of Rs 1,00,000 per year per employee will attract FBT.
Impact of FBT on India Inc.
• The IT, ITeS, pharma, FMCG and the insurance sectors have especially been badly hit.
• Slowdown in demand for group superannuation policies from corporates after the introduction of fringe benefit tax.
From India, Gurgaon
22Fringe benefits are benefits which employees or directors receive from their employment but which are not included in their salary cheque or wages. On the tax return form they are called 'benefits in kind'. They include such things as company cars, private medical insurance paid for by the employer and cheap or free loans.
The taxation of perquisites -- or fringe benefits -- provided by an employer to his employees, in addition to the cash salary or wages paid, is fringe benefit tax.
Any benefits -- or perks -- that employees (current or past) get as a result of their employment are to be taxed, but in this case in the hands of the employer.
Introduction of the Tax (India)
With the notification of the Finance Act, 2005, the Fringe Benefit Tax has become a law and every person falling within the definition of employer will now be required to comply with the provisions relating to the Fringe Benefit Tax.
Items covered under fringe benefits:
• As per the Finance Bill, fringe benefits shall be deemed to have been provided if the employer has incurred any expense or made any payment for the purposes of:
• entertainment;
• festival celebrations;
• gifts;
• use of club facilities;
• provision of hospitality of every kind to any person whether by way of food and beverage or in any other manner, excluding food or beverages provided to the employees in the office or factory;
• maintenance of guest house;
• conference;
• employee welfare;
• Use of health club, sports and similar facilities;
• sales promotion, including publicity;
• conveyance, tour and travel, including foreign travel expenses
• hotel boarding and lodging;
• repair, running and maintenance of motor cars;
• repair, running and maintenance of aircraft
• consumption of fuel other than industrial fuel;
• use of telephone;
• Scholarship to the children of the employees.
• The definition of 'Fringe Benefit' under the new chapter XII H (As per subsection (2) of section 115 WB of Income Tax Act, 1961), excludes-
a) any expenditure on or payment through paid vouchers, which are not transferable and usable only at eating joints or outlets.
b) Meal Pass is exempted from fringe benefit tax for the employers and is tax free for the employees
c) Meal Pass can be used for making payments both within and outside office premises.
Who pays fringe benefit tax?
• Under the proposed provisions, fringe benefit tax is payable by an employer who is either an individual or a Hindu undivided family engaged in a business or profession; a company; a firm; an association of persons or a body of individuals; a local authority; a sole trader, or an artificial juridical person.
• The tax is payable in respect of the value of fringe benefits provided or deemed to have been provided by an employer to his employees during the previous year.
• The value of fringe benefits so calculated, is subject to additional income tax in respect of fringe benefits at the rate of thirty per cent, as provided in section 115WA.
• The fringe benefit tax is payable by the employer even where he is not liable to pay income-tax on his total income computed in accordance with the other provisions of this Act.
• The benefit does not have to be provided by the employer directly for him to attract fringe benefit tax. Fringe benefit tax may still be applied if the benefit is provided by a third party or an associate of the employer or by under an arrangement with the employer.
Why fringe benefit tax?
• The taxation of perquisites -- or fringe benefits -- provided by an employer to his employees, in addition to the cash salary or wages paid, is subject to varying treatment in different countries.
• These benefits are either taxed in the hands of the employees themselves or the value of such benefits is subject to a 'fringe benefit tax' in the hands of the employer.
• The rationale for levying a fringe benefit tax on the employer lies in the inherent difficulty in isolating the 'personal element' where there is collective enjoyment of such benefits and attributing the same directly to the employee.
• This is so especially where the expenditure incurred by the employer is ostensibly for purposes of the business but includes, in partial measure, a benefit of a personal nature.
• Moreover, in cases where the employer directly reimburses the employee for expenses incurred, it becomes difficult to effectively capture the true extent of the perquisite provided because of the problem of cash flow in the hands of the employer.
• Therefore, the finance minister has proposed to adopt a two-pronged approach for the taxation of fringe benefits under the Income-tax Act.
• Perquisites which can be directly attributed to the employees will continue to be taxed in their hands in accordance with the existing provisions of section 17(2) of the Income-tax Act and subject to the method of valuation outlined in rule 3 of the Income-tax Rules.
• In cases, where attribution of the personal benefit poses problems, or for some reasons, it is not feasible to tax the benefits in the hands of the employee, it is proposed to levy a separate tax known as the fringe benefit tax on the employer on the value of such benefits provided or deemed to have been provided to the employees.
• For this purpose, a new Chapter XII-H is proposed to be inserted in the Income-tax Act containing sections 115W to 115WL, which provides for the levy of additional income tax on fringe benefits.
(FBT) Budget 2007-08
• Levy Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on employee stock option plans (ESOPs).
• levy service tax on rents of commercial properties
• Value the benefit in the form of `tour and travel' at 5 per cent instead of 20 per cent
• Value the benefit in the form of `hospitality' and `use of hotel boarding and lodging facilities', in the case of airline companies and shipping industry, at 5 per cent instead of 20 per cent;
• Exclude the expenses on free samples of medicines and of medical equipment distributed to doctors
• Exclude the expenses incurred on brand ambassador and celebrity endorsement; and
• Prescribe a threshold of Rs 1,00,000 under section 115WB(1)(c) so that only a contribution by an employer to an approved superannuation fund in excess of Rs 1,00,000 per year per employee will attract FBT.
Impact of FBT on India Inc.
• The IT, ITeS, pharma, FMCG and the insurance sectors have especially been badly hit.
• Slowdown in demand for group superannuation policies from corporates after the introduction of fringe benefit tax.
From India, Gurgaon
Fringe Benefit: A Component of Compensation Management
Fringe Benefit is the privilege,service, facilities or amenity which is paid directly or indirectly to a employee by an employer. These benefits can be defined as any wage cost not directly connected with employees productive effort, performance or Services.
The benefit is given to employees during and post employment period which are only connected with employment not to the employees monthly contribution to the organisation.
Types of Fringe Benefits:
1. For Employment Security
2 For Health Protection
3. For Old age & Retirement
4. For Personal identification, participation & Stimulation.
Note: In Tax Return Form Fringe Benefit are mentioned as "Benefits in Kind"
From India, Bhubaneswar
Fringe Benefit is the privilege,service, facilities or amenity which is paid directly or indirectly to a employee by an employer. These benefits can be defined as any wage cost not directly connected with employees productive effort, performance or Services.
The benefit is given to employees during and post employment period which are only connected with employment not to the employees monthly contribution to the organisation.
Types of Fringe Benefits:
1. For Employment Security
2 For Health Protection
3. For Old age & Retirement
4. For Personal identification, participation & Stimulation.
Note: In Tax Return Form Fringe Benefit are mentioned as "Benefits in Kind"
From India, Bhubaneswar
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Creche under Maternity Benefit Act.pdf