You do not need to pay tax on benefits that employers provide to their employees if they qualify for what is known as a Trivial Benefit.
To be a Trivial Benefit, the following must apply:
- it costs £50 or less to provide
- it isn’t cash or a cash voucher
- it isn’t a reward for an employee's work or performance
- it isn’t in the terms of an employee's contract
No tax or National Insurance needs to be paid on trivial benefits and you do not need to report them to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
If you are not sure whether a benefit counts as a trivial benefit, call HMRC's Employer Helpline.
For more technical details about Trivial Benefits see Employment Manual 21864
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Nicky Hagenbeek
Nicky is a fully qualified bookkeeper, licensed and regulated through the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). As a Fellow member of the ICB, she is committed to their high professional and ethical standards and keeps her knowledge up to date with the latest legislation through the maintenance of her continuous professional development.
Beeline Bookkeeping's aim is to support small businesses and to provide them with the necessary data to make sound strategic decisions, enabling them to steer their business in the right direction.