Meal vouchers are also increasingly popular with small and medium-sized businesses. Throughout Italy, more than 150,000 bars, restaurants and supermarkets accept payment by restaurant checks. They also work from a smartphone via an app and you can order lunch at the office or from home via the affiliated e-commerce network.
The economic measure has been confirmed by the current government for 2024 with the same previous tax relief: the employer can fully deduct the costs incurred for the purchase of meal vouchers. Workers also welcome meal vouchers: recent surveys reveal that 4 out of 5 employees prefer them to a pay increase.
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The comfort of restaurant vouchers for businesses
The first initiative dates back to 2017 and was used by large companies without a canteen. Over time, the tool has evolved to defend workers' incomes against inflation. In fact, what is new today is that this type of corporate social assistance has been extended to small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs without employees. To have right to restaurant vouchers these include both workers with full-time and part-time subordinate contracts, but also those who have an ongoing collaborative relationship with the company, such as project workers. Faced with growing demand, companies that offer meal vouchers offer a variety of formulas adapted to the needs of the company.
“Even our company – explains Luigi Guerra, Roman entrepreneur of a medium-sized company – chose to purchase meal vouchers for its employees. The convenience of this additional benefit for us entrepreneurs lies in the deductibility of costs. Concerning VAT, this is fully deductible with a rate set at 4%.
Support a financial exit – concludes the Lazio entrepreneur – businesses benefit from two deductible costs: the worker’s salary and the cost of meal vouchers. Finally, to confirm the merits of the choice, our employees declared themselves satisfied because they benefit from an economic advantage without being burdened with an additional tax burden.”
THE Meloni government with the decree on aid quarter increased to 3,000 euros the spending capacity of workers without imposing a tax burden. The tax advantages of restaurant vouchers are currently set by law as follows:
- for them companies: 100% deductible checks and 4% deductible VAT;
- For freelancers And sole proprietorships: vouchers deductible at 75% and VAT deductible at 10% up to a maximum amount equal to 2% of turnover.
Concrete financial support for employees
THE meal voucher offered by the company provides the worker and the lives of many families with tangible economic support. In practice, thanks to the integration of meal vouchers, the company supports the quality of life of its employees like the meal voucher this does not constitute income salaried workup to the total amount per person per day of:
- 8 euros for electronic format, electronic card or app
- 4 euros for paper format
an annual income completely exempt from tax calculable in 1,760 euros, electronic format and 880 euros, paper format.
For employees, tax-free restaurant vouchers do not only represent significant financial assistancebut they also offer greater flexibility in meal choice. Instead of opting for quick and unhealthy solutions, workers can use meal vouchers, even outside of their lunch break, to purchase fresh ingredients to prepare their own meals.
