A gift from your employer?

PITFALLS: BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF A ‘FREEBIE’ FROM YOUR COMPANY

If you are one of the lucky few to get an end-of-year bonus this year, it is taxed at exactly the same rate as your other remuneration.

Tax implications of bonuses, vouchers, transport tickets and more that you need to know about.

After a difficult year that has required many workers to go above and beyond the call of duty, some employers are giving their employees festive season gifts to thank them for their commitment.

As welcome as the gesture is, it is important to bear in mind that you may need to share some of your good fortune with the South African Revenue Service (Sars).

Whether it is a shopping voucher or the use of a company property for the holidays, your present may have some tax implications. Let’s take a look:

A voucher or a physical present

If your company rewards you with an item that could be seen as an asset, Sars will regard it as a taxable benefit.

It will usually be taxed based on the market value, but in some cases, it may be taxed based on the cost to your employer.

If you receive a new mobile phone as a personal gift, your employer should tax you on the applicable value on the payroll. The same applies to prizes given to the best performers of the year.

If your employer gives you a gift voucher in lieu of cash, Sars will also treat it as an asset.

There are some exemptions. If the gift is a long-service or bravery award and the value does not exceed R5 000, it will not be treated as a taxable benefit. If your employer provides you with a watch as a long service or bravery award, and the value is R7 500, only R2 500 will be taxable.

Holiday accommodation

If your employer lets you use a flat it owns at the coast for your holiday, the taxable value is the amount for which the accommodation could be rented out to non-employees.

If the company could rent the flat out for R2 000 per day, then you must be taxed for a R2 000 benefit for each day you stay in the holiday flat.

The taxable benefit will be adjusted if you pay towards your stay in the flat.

If the flat could be let out for R2 000 a day and you pay R500, the taxable benefit will be R1 500 for each day you use the flat.

If the employer rents rather than owns the flat it allows you to use, the taxable value will be the cost to the employer.

Benefits or gifts s to employee’s relatives

If your company decides to give a gift to your child or spouse rather than you, you’ll need to pay tax on it.

If your employer directly or indirectly provides a benefit to one of your relatives as a reward for your services, you are deemed to have received the benefit and must be taxed on it.

Transport tickets

Some employers treat their employees to fl ight or long-haul bus tickets instead of bonuses.

Sars treats this as a free or cheap service, and the taxable benefit for the employee is the cost to the employer.

Year- end bonus

If you are one of the lucky few to get an end-of-year bonus this year, it is taxed at the same rate as other remuneration.

To determine the rate at which you should be taxed on the payroll, the bonus will be added to your annual salary.

This will determine the amount of tax you should pay for the full tax year.

From there, it can subtract your usual annual PAYE deductions, based on remuneration received monthly, from the total to determine how much tax you should pay on your bonus and your PAYE for the month.

Sometimes the bonus can push you into a higher tax bracket, and that portion of your income will be taxed at a higher rate.

Esterhuizen is a registered tax practitioner and director at Sage Africa & Middle East