Up to 3000 euros tax-free: Many companies are examining inflation premiums
Created: 09/30/2022, 10:48 p.m
By: Simon Stock
The cost of living is exploding.
An inflation premium of up to 3000 euros tax-free should bring relief.
Some companies are giving positive signals.
Hamm - gas, electricity, groceries and more - everything is getting more expensive in Germany.
According to estimates by the Federal Statistical Office, consumer prices rose by 10 percent in September 2022 compared to the previous month.
The rising cost of living is eating away at many people's incomes.
With an inflation premium to be paid by employers, households are to be financially relieved.
Inflation premium: companies should pay 3,000 euros tax-free to employees
The idea of the federal government: employers should soon be able to grant a tax-free special payment of up to 3000 euros to each employee.
In the case of social benefit recipients, the premium should not be taken into account as income.
That's what it's about:
Employers can pay an inflation premium of up to 3,000 euros tax-free to employees at once or in several installments.
The prerequisite for tax exemption is that the premium is paid in addition to the salary that is already owed.
The employer must make it clear that the premium is granted in connection with the price increases.
The inflation adjustment is limited until December 31, 2024.
The inflation premium or employer lump sum is part of the third relief package with numerous measures.
The first funds will be paid out soon.
Important: The inflation premium decided by the Bundestag on Friday (September 30) is only an appeal.
How much money will flow to employees and whether at all - that is solely a matter for the employer.
Many companies, especially medium-sized ones, are currently also suffering greatly from the explosion in energy and material prices.
Employer President Rainer Dulger recently emphasized that not all companies could afford the one-off payment.
However, a mood picture from wa.de shows that large companies are quite positive about the inflation premium.
At the same time, they point out that the legislative decision still has to be checked.
According to the
Handelsblatt
, more than half of the 40 Dax companies and many large family businesses are checking whether they are making a corresponding special payment – and the trend is rising.
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Inflation premium: cautiously positive signals from German companies
The chemical
company Evonik
from Essen (North Rhine-Westphalia) welcomes the instrument, especially since "unlike a normal wage increase, it does not trigger a permanent wage-price spiral," it says on request.
The tax exemption increases the effect of the payment and creates help and relief for employees in the current tense economic situation.
Media giant
Bertelsmann
sees tax- and social security-free one-off payments such as the inflation premium - as in the case of the Corona premium - as a suitable means of relieving employees.
After clarification by the legislator, "such payments could ideally be made in December so that employees can use them to settle part of their obligations at the beginning of the year," said a Bertelsmann spokesman.
But here too: First of all, it has to be checked.
Inflation premium: Telekom and Sixt refer to special payments
The
Rewe Group
wanted the regulation on the inflation premium to be as flexible as possible, then "this good instrument could be used both operationally and for tariffs - also in several partial amounts at different times and with regard to the respective cash situation".
The trading group based in Cologne therefore welcomed the fact that it is about a term until the end of 2024.
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As part of its most recent collective bargaining agreements,
Deutsche Telekom
has already agreed on one-off payments for lower and middle tariff groups for 2022.
Now it will be checked whether the money can be paid out tax-free.
For the first quarter of 2023, according to Telekom, one-off payments were also agreed under collective agreements.
Car rental company
Sixt
points out that the company decided at the end of August - and thus before the third relief package was passed - to pay each of its around 7,600 employees worldwide, including a good 3,200 in Germany, a special bonus of 1,700 euros by the end of the year.
Employed people will receive 300 euros from the state from September.
Students and mini-jobbers can also get the energy price flat rate (EPP).
Unaffordably high prices for gas and electricity - that's one of the concerns of people in Germany before winter.
Another is the blackout, the power failure lasting several days.
A list should help to get through this time.
