Christmas Parties

Instead of (or as well as) gifts, it’s quite common for employers to host a Christmas Party for their staff (often including spouses) at a restaurant. 

Where this is the case, the total cost will generally be exempt from FBT provided the per-head cost (dinner and drinks) is kept to under $300 per person.  This is known as the Minor Benefits Exemption.  To enjoy this exemption the employer must use the Actual Method for valuing FBT meal entertainment.  The Actual Method is the default method for valuing meal entertainment, and no formal ATO election is required to use this method.  Under the Actual Method, an employer pays FBT (in the absence of an exemption) on all taxable meal entertainment provided to employees and their associates such as spouses. 

The downside of using the Minor Benefit Exemption is that the meal entertainment is not tax deductible, nor can you claim a GST credit.

This Minor Benefit Exemption is not available if you elect to value your meal entertainment under the alternative 50/50 Method.  Under this method, you pay FBT on only 50% of all taxable meal entertainment provided to employees, spouses AND clients, contractors, customers etc. irrespective of the cost.  Likewise, you only claim a 50% income tax deduction and 50% GST credits on such meal entertainment.  

However as stated earlier, with the FBT rate now at 47% the 50% tax deduction and 50% GST credits available under the 50/50 Method are unlikely to provide a better after-tax result than the Actual Method whereby FBT is payable.

The “take-home message” is that if like many employers the only social functions you host for employees during the year are a Christmas Party (and perhaps the Melbourne Cup), be conscious of keeping the per-head cost under $300. By doing so you may be able to exempt the entire cost of the party from FBT.