Working Condition Benefits

This exclusion applies to property and services you provide to an employee so that the employee can perform his or her job. It applies to the extent the employee could deduct the cost of the property or services as a business expense or depreciation expense if he or she had paid it. The employee must meet any substantiation requirements that apply to the deduction. Examples of working condition benefits include an employee's use of a company car for business and job-related education provided to an employee.

This exclusion also applies to a cash payment you provide for an employee's expenses for a specific or prearranged business activity to the extent the employee could deduct the expenses if he or she had paid them without reimbursement. You must require the employee to verify that the payment is actually used for those expenses and to return any unused part of the payment.

For information on deductible employee business expenses, see Unreimbursed Employee Expenses in Publication 529, Miscellaneous Deductions.

The exclusion does not apply to the following items.

• A service or property provided under a flexible spending account in which you agree to provide the employee, over a time period, a certain level of unspecified noncash benefits with a predetermined cash value.
• A physical examination program you provide, even if mandatory.
• Any item to the extent the employee could deduct its cost as an expense for a trade or business other than your trade or business.

Employee. For this exclusion, treat the following individuals as employees.

1. A current employee.
2. A partner who performs services for a partnership.
3. A director of your company.
4. An independent contractor who performs services for you.

Vehicle allocation rules. If you provide a car for an employee's use, the amount you can exclude as a working condition benefit is the amount that would be allowable as a deductible business expense if the employee paid for its use. That is, if the employee uses the car for both business and personal use, the value of the working condition benefit is the part determined to be for business use of the vehicle. See Business use of your car under Personal Expenses in chapter 1 of Publication 535. Also, see the special rules for certain demonstrator cars and qualified nonpersonal-use vehicles, discussed next.

However, instead of excluding the value of the working condition benefit, you can include the entire annual lease value of the car in the employee's wages. The employee can then claim any deductible business expense for the car as an itemized deduction on his or her personal income tax return. This option is available only if you use the lease value rule (discussed in chapter 3) to value the benefit.

Demonstrator cars. All of the use of a demonstrator car by your full-time auto salesperson generally qualifies as a working condition benefit if the use is primarily to facilitate the services the salesperson provided for you and there are substantial restrictions on personal use. For more information and the definition of "full-time auto salesperson," see section 1.132-5(o) of the regulations.

Qualified nonpersonal-use vehicles. All of an employee's use of a qualified nonpersonal-use vehicle is a working condition benefit. A qualified nonpersonal-use vehicle is any vehicle the employee is not likely to use more than minimally for personal purposes because of its design. Qualified nonpersonal-use vehicles generally include all of the following vehicles.

1. Clearly marked police and fire vehicles.
2. Unmarked vehicles used by law enforcement officers if the use is officially authorized.
3. An ambulance or hearse used for its specific purpose.
4. Any vehicle designed to carry cargo with a loaded gross vehicle weight over 14,000 pounds.
5. Delivery trucks with seating for the driver only, or the driver plus a folding jump seat.
6. A passenger bus with a capacity of at least 20 passengers used for its specific purpose.
7. School buses.
8. Tractors and other special purpose farm vehicles.

Pickup trucks. A pickup truck with a loaded gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds or less is a qualified nonpersonal use vehicle if it has been specially modified so it is not likely to be used more than minimally for personal purposes. For example, a pickup truck qualifies if it is clearly marked with permanently affixed decals, special painting, or other advertising associated with your trade, business, or function and meets either of the following requirements.

1. It is equipped with at least one of the following items.
   1. A hydraulic lift gate.
   2. Permanent tanks or drums.
   3. Permanent side boards or panels that materially raise the level of the sides of the truck bed.
   4. Other heavy equipment (such as an electric generator, welder, boom, or crane used to tow automobiles and other vehicles).
2. It is used primarily to transport a particular type of load (other than over the public highways) in a construction, manufacturing, processing, farming, mining, drilling, timbering, or other similar operation for which it was specially designed or significantly modified.

Vans. A van with a loaded gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds or less is a qualified nonpersonal use vehicle if it has been specially modified so it is not likely to be used more than minimally for personal purposes. For example, a van qualifies if it is clearly marked with permanently affixed decals, special painting, or other advertising associated with your trade, business, or function and has a seat for the driver only (or the driver and one other person) and either of the following items.

1. Permanent shelving that fills most of the cargo area.
2. An open cargo area and the van always carries merchandise, material, or equipment used in your trade, business, or function.

Outplacement services. An employee's use of outplacement services qualifies as a working condition benefit if you provide the services to the employee on the basis of need and you get a substantial business benefit from the services distinct from the benefit you would get from the payment of additional wages. Substantial business benefits include promoting a positive business image, maintaining employee morale, and avoiding wrongful termination suits.

Outplacement services do not qualify as a working condition benefit if the employee can choose to receive cash or taxable benefits in place of the services. If you maintain a severance plan and permit employees to get outplacement services with reduced severance pay, include in the employee's wages the difference between the unreduced severance and the reduced severance payments.

Exclusion from wages. You can generally exclude the value of a working condition benefit you provide to an employee from the employee's wages.

Exception for independent contractors. You cannot exclude the value of parking or the use of consumer goods you provide in a product testing program from the compensation you pay to an independent contractor who performs services for you.

Exception for company directors. You cannot exclude the value of the use of consumer goods you provide in a product testing program from the compensation you pay to a director.

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