The holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to show your team some appreciation with parties and gifts. But you don’t want to get caught paying more than expected. A little planning now can help you avoid a surprise at tax time.
Despite the name, it’s not the next trendy haircut. A Fringe Benefit is actually a perk you provide to an employee that isn’t a part of their paycheck.
It typically includes expenses you, as the employer, cover, that the employee would normally pay for themselves.
Common examples of fringe benefits include:
Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) applies to fringe benefits you provide to your employees, their families, or associates.
Unlike income tax, FBT is calculated separately based on the value of the benefits provided, and it must be lodged with the ATO.
As an employer, it’s your job to keep track of the fringe benefits you provide. But because FBT is self-assessed, it’s easy to misunderstand what’s taxable, even when you’re trying to do the right thing.
Quick tip: The FBT year is 1 April to 31 March, so make sure you’re ready when it’s time to report!
Holiday events and gifts can be tricky when it comes to FBT. It’s wonderful to celebrate the season and reward your team for their hard work, but it’s also easy to overlook how some expenses might impact your tax.
For example, staff parties and certain gifts could fall under FBT if you’re not careful. The good news? With a little forethought, you can celebrate the season without accidentally overspending or creating extra tax headaches.
Here’s our gift to you! Our FBT event summary can help you navigate the gift of giving to your employees for the upcoming season:
Please note the above only applies if you are using the actual method to calculate FBT, as opposed to the 50/50 method. When gifting cash bonuses you should always consider the tax consequences. Bonuses are regarded as ordinary times earnings and must be included when calculating super. Not factoring in the appropriate withholding tax may result in a tax bill for your employees come year-end. The responsibility rests with the employer to ensure PAYG, FBT and superannuation are appropriately remitted.
Quick tip: If you decide to give a cash bonus instead of a benefit you won’t have to worry about FBT, but you do need to manage it correctly via payroll.
It’s important to keep in mind that the bonus does count as regular income for your employee. This means:
The compliant way to handle a holiday bonus is to process it through payroll. This means all the tax and super obligations are taken care of while still spreading some holiday cheer!
If you’re unsure about how FBT applies to your business, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice from us. It’s always better to be prepared than surprised!