Inflation bonus: Who gets the 3000 euros from the boss?
Created: 07/10/2022 19:21
By: Stella Henrich
All citizens groan under the high prices for energy, food and fuel.
With the tax-free inflation premium, the government now wants to relieve employees in this country financially.
Who is entitled to it?
Munich – The good news for all low-income workers first: Since the burden is primarily on people with little money, so-called top-ups, i.e. low-income workers, are also entitled to the inflation compensation premium, according to lawyer Henning Linnenberg.
Top-ups are people who receive Hartz IV in addition to unemployment benefit.
Employees can receive up to 3,000 euros as a so-called “inflation compensation premium”.
In theory, every employee could receive the bonus, the lawyer told the “
Bild
”.
The employer decides whether to grant this.
“Not everyone automatically gets the additional money that relieves them”.
Bonus up to 3000 euros: one-time payment or in several parts
Basically, the boss decides how to pay out the money.
Either "3000 euros in one go" or "in several parts", explains Linnenberg the bonus of the traffic light coalition.
The employer only has to mark the premium as such in the pay slip.
The inflation premium from the government's third relief package is intended to relieve low-income workers.
(Iconic image) © Martin Wagner/imago
Up to 3000 euros tax-free - the inflation compensation premium
Employers should be given the opportunity to grant their employees an amount of up to 3,000 euros tax- and duty-free.
This is what the so-called
inflation compensation
premium, which the Bundestag has now approved, provides for.
The payment period is limited to December 31, 2024.
This should give employers more flexibility.
Payments up to an amount of 3000 euros are tax and social security free.
It is also possible to pay in several installments.
According to the federal government, the inflation compensation premium must be granted in addition to wages.
Every employer can use the tax and duty exemption for such additional payments.
Source: Federal Government
Bonus up to 3000 euros: the employee is not entitled to it
In contrast to success bonuses, the inflation compensation bonus is
not a reward for special performance by the employee
.
According to Linnenberg, holiday and Christmas bonuses are not bonuses in this sense, but so-called special bonuses.
According to the lawyer, only the granted corona bonus is a state benefit for special services in the epidemic.
Crucial to this distinction is that bonuses are considered income by the employer and must therefore be taxed.
The tax exemption of the inflation compensation premium is therefore an exception, according to the specialist lawyer for banking and capital market law.
In principle, however, an employee is not entitled to the premium.
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Similar to special payments or voluntary contributions, the payment of the inflation premium is at the discretion of the employer.
In any case, many employees do not believe in receiving the bonus.
Bosses think they are far from reality anyway.
They sometimes struggle with additional energy costs in the millions.
For many, this does not go together with an inflation premium.
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