Belgium - Benefits for employees - 01/18/2007Pursuant to a Royal Decree, employers may grant their employees sport and culture vouchers for a maximum of 100 euro per year, which may be divided in a series of vouchers of lower value. Such vouchers are exempted from social security contributions, provided the relevant conditions are met.
Sport and culture vouchers are exempted from social security contributions, if the following conditions are satisfied: The granting of such vouchers has to be regulated by a collective labour agreement signed at industry or company level or based on an individual written agreement provided the employer grants such vouchers to all the people or categories of people working for him.
Furthermore, each such voucher has to contain the name and surname of the beneficiary and must indicate unambiguously that it is valid during 15 months only, from July 1 to September 30 of following year.
This kind of vouchers can be negotiated exclusively with cultural operators which organise activities outlined in t Article 4 of the Special Act of August 1980. The authorities in charge have the right to draw up a list of operators not to be included in the scope of application of the before mentioned Law. The list is sent to the issuers of the vouchers.
Sport and culture voucher that do not contain the above indicated information will be regarded as salary item. The exchange for cash of the entire or partial value of a sport and culture voucher is prohibited. It is not allowed to grant sport and culture vouchers in replacement for salary, bonuses, benefit in kind or any other benefit.
No specific provision has been adopted as far as income tax is concerned Sport and culture vouchers are therefore to be regarded either as a welfare benefit or as a general benefit.
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