At many companies, employees can partake of a few kinds of free snacks . According to Section 119 of the Internal Revenue Code, a business can deduct occasional employee meals, but only when those meals are “furnished for the convenience of the employer.” Meals furnished for the convenience of the employee, on the other hand, are seldom allowed as a business expense. Free snacks belong to a third category of cheap and infrequent perks called de minimis fringe benefits. Up until last year, an employer could actually deduct the full cost of employee snacks, which might help to explain how they became a workplace fixture. At lunchtime, Mr. Sztanski and his colleagues often joke that they feel like they’re playing a game of “office ‘Chopped’” — a reference to the popular TV franchise in which contestants cook meals with limited ingredients.

Source: New York Times March 04, 2019 19:01 UTC