IRS Guidance Clarifies Tax Treatment of Cell Phones
From my friends at Ascentis:
New guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) explains that, where employers provide cell phones to their employees or where employers reimburse employees for business use of their personal cell phones, tax-free treatment is available without burdensome recordkeeping requirements.
The guidance does not apply to the provision of cell phones or reimbursement for cell-phone use that is not primarily business-related, as such arrangements are generally taxable.
Employer-Provided Cell Phones as Excludible Fringe Benefit
Notice 2011-72 explains that when an employer provides an employee with a cell phone primarily for noncompensatory business reasons, the business and personal use of the cell phone is generally nontaxable to the employee.
•An employer will be considered to have provided an employee with a cell phone primarily for noncompensatory business purposes if there are substantial reasons relating to the employer's business, other than providing compensation to the employee, for providing the employee with a cell phone.
•For example, the employer's need to contact the employee at all times for work-related emergencies, the employer's requirement that the employee be available to speak with clients at times when the employee is away from the office, and the employee's need to speak with clients located in other time zones at times outside of the employee's normal work day are possible substantial noncompensatory business reasons.
•A cell phone provided to promote the morale or good will of an employee, to attract a prospective employee or as a means of furnishing additional compensation to an employee is not provided primarily for noncompensatory business purposes (and so would be generally taxable).
The IRS will not require recordkeeping of business use in order to receive this tax-free treatment.
Reimbursements for Work-Related Use of Personal Cell Phones
The IRS also announced in a memo to its examiners a similar approach that applies with respect to arrangements common to small businesses that provide cash allowances and reimbursements for work-related use of personally-owned cell phones.
•Under this approach, employers that require employees, primarily for noncompensatory business reasons, to use their personal cell phones for business purposes may treat reimbursements of the employees' expenses for reasonable cell phone coverage as nontaxable.
•This treatment does not apply to reimbursements of unusual or excessive expenses or to reimbursements made as a substitute for a portion of the employee's regular wages.
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Always Looking to Acquire Houses | Always Looking to Amaze Investors
From my friends at Ascentis:
New guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) explains that, where employers provide cell phones to their employees or where employers reimburse employees for business use of their personal cell phones, tax-free treatment is available without burdensome recordkeeping requirements.
The guidance does not apply to the provision of cell phones or reimbursement for cell-phone use that is not primarily business-related, as such arrangements are generally taxable.
Employer-Provided Cell Phones as Excludible Fringe Benefit
Notice 2011-72 explains that when an employer provides an employee with a cell phone primarily for noncompensatory business reasons, the business and personal use of the cell phone is generally nontaxable to the employee.
•An employer will be considered to have provided an employee with a cell phone primarily for noncompensatory business purposes if there are substantial reasons relating to the employer's business, other than providing compensation to the employee, for providing the employee with a cell phone.
•For example, the employer's need to contact the employee at all times for work-related emergencies, the employer's requirement that the employee be available to speak with clients at times when the employee is away from the office, and the employee's need to speak with clients located in other time zones at times outside of the employee's normal work day are possible substantial noncompensatory business reasons.
•A cell phone provided to promote the morale or good will of an employee, to attract a prospective employee or as a means of furnishing additional compensation to an employee is not provided primarily for noncompensatory business purposes (and so would be generally taxable).
The IRS will not require recordkeeping of business use in order to receive this tax-free treatment.
Reimbursements for Work-Related Use of Personal Cell Phones
The IRS also announced in a memo to its examiners a similar approach that applies with respect to arrangements common to small businesses that provide cash allowances and reimbursements for work-related use of personally-owned cell phones.
•Under this approach, employers that require employees, primarily for noncompensatory business reasons, to use their personal cell phones for business purposes may treat reimbursements of the employees' expenses for reasonable cell phone coverage as nontaxable.
•This treatment does not apply to reimbursements of unusual or excessive expenses or to reimbursements made as a substitute for a portion of the employee's regular wages.
Always Looking to Acquire Houses | Always Looking to Amaze Investors