Friday, November 17, 2006
More on Nanny Holiday Bonuses
Q. Are nanny holiday bonuses and gifts taxable?
A. Yes. Basically, according to the IRS, there is no such thing as a GIFT between and employer and an employee. Anything of value given by an employer to an employee is considered compensation, subject to reporting and employment and income taxes.
The only way to skirt the issues of reporting the gift or bonus on the nanny's W-2 is to give her something with a 'de minimis' value - something so small that it is administratively impractical to perform a valuation and include it in compensation. This absolutely rules out CASH and dollar-value gift cards, but might allow other small expressions of gratitude such as a framed photo of the nanny with her charges.
The IRS does not define 'de minimis' by any specific value. A business gift is considered 'de minimis' if the value is less than $25. Many employers use the same measurement - hence the holiday ham or turkey. Gift cards with a dollar value or 'cash equivalent', however, even under $25, would be considered compensation.
Any cash you give to an employee at any time - whether it's a salary, bonus, or holiday gift - must be added to the employee's W-2 income. As a cash equivalent, a $50 gift certificate or gift card is $50 of taxable income.
A. Yes. Basically, according to the IRS, there is no such thing as a GIFT between and employer and an employee. Anything of value given by an employer to an employee is considered compensation, subject to reporting and employment and income taxes.
The only way to skirt the issues of reporting the gift or bonus on the nanny's W-2 is to give her something with a 'de minimis' value - something so small that it is administratively impractical to perform a valuation and include it in compensation. This absolutely rules out CASH and dollar-value gift cards, but might allow other small expressions of gratitude such as a framed photo of the nanny with her charges.
The IRS does not define 'de minimis' by any specific value. A business gift is considered 'de minimis' if the value is less than $25. Many employers use the same measurement - hence the holiday ham or turkey. Gift cards with a dollar value or 'cash equivalent', however, even under $25, would be considered compensation.
Any cash you give to an employee at any time - whether it's a salary, bonus, or holiday gift - must be added to the employee's W-2 income. As a cash equivalent, a $50 gift certificate or gift card is $50 of taxable income.
