Benefits of a 132 Plan
Employees:Employers:
Frequently Asked Questions
CBS Administrators is committed to the success of your benefits program. We are here to help and to be a resource to you and your employees.
We understand there may be a variety of questions when offering a new benefit or switching administrators. Below we have compiled some of frequently asked questions. We alwasy prefer to help you directly, so please contact us to get your specific question asnwered.
Transit Reimbursement Account
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (Internal Revenue Code Section 132 and TEA-21) allows employers to offer employees the opportunity to set aside a portion of their salary to pay parking and mass transportation expenses. The employee will not be taxed on amounts set aside and used for qualified expenses.
How it WorksThe transportation fringe benefit is like the pre-tax flexible spending accounts available for medical expenses and dependent care without the “use it or lose it penalty”. Employees can elect up to $325 per month for eligible parking expenses and/or $325 per month for Mass transit expenses. The funds are disbursed to the employee through the Debit Cards which are updated monthly.
Qualified Expenses
- Local Parking - • Parking a vehicle in a facility that is near the employee’s place of work or a parking facility at a mass transit location.
- Mass Transit - • Eligible Mass Transit expenses include tokens, passes, smart cards or fare cards for trains, streetcars, vanpools, buses, subways or ferries.
Debit cards are coded to only allow the dedicated amounts for each option, transit or parking
Increase Your Take Home Pay
With pre-tax deductions, you keep more money in your paycheck. Your increased take-home pay and savings depend on your income tax bracket. If you are in a 30-percent tax bracket, you can save $30 for every $100 that you put into the commuter plan. Put $1,500 a year into your commuter benefits plan, and you increase your annual take-home pay by $450.
Sample Employer Savings |
||||
A1 Company (25 Employees) |
Without a |
With a |
||
132 program |
132 program |
|||
Annual payroll |
$ |
1,000,000 |
$ |
1,000,000 |
Transit Expenses |
|
0 |
$ |
15,000 |
Parking Expenses |
|
0 |
$ |
28,800 |
Taxable Payroll |
$ |
1,000,000 |
$ |
956,200 |
FICA Tax (7.65%) |
$ |
76500 |
$ |
73149 |
Savings |
0 |
$3,351 |
||
Note: Actual savings may vary depending upon specific tax situation. Social security benefits could be affected. |