SZÉP-card came to the fore, allowances used for catering are still determining, but allowances used for other purposes were also getting stronger.

 

April 13, 2012

C1 cafeteria has prepared the analysis of popularity of fringe benefits this year as well. According to the cafeteria declarations of more than 30.000 employees, SZÉP-card is the most popular allowance with its 28% share; new Erzsébet-voucher started on the fifth place. Earlier leading hot-meal voucher has reached a relatively modest, 3.6% share. This voucher cannot be given with reduced taxation by now.

In 2012 the regulations on fringe benefits has changed radically. The public dues (within the limit determined by legal regulations) increased from 19,04% to 30,94%. SZÉP card is issued by three banks with three sub-accounts (meals, accommodation and recreation). By means of this card the employer - up to HUF 450.000 per year - is able to give allowances with preferential taxation for its employees. The new Erzsébet-voucher can be used for purchasing meal; it can be given by the employer - with preferential taxation - up to HUF 5.000 per month. At the same time, the tax reduction on internet and vacation coupon had come to an end.

The regulations on the school staring support, the local transport pass, the voluntary pension fund and the voluntary health fund have not been changed in 2012. Moreover the sports allowance, computer usage, housing support, life insurance and for this year the health insurance also can be given with unchanged conditions and free taxation.

C1 cafeteria investigated this year as well the popularity change of the fringe benefits, based on data of the declarations made at the beginning of this year. The analysis was carried out by the declarations of more, than 30.000 employees, registered in the data base of c1 cafeteria. In the used sample data small, medium, large companies and institutes also can be found form Budapest and from the countryside as well.

Fringe benefits can be given in a unified way to the employees, but the recent analysis was done by the value of summarisation of the claimed fringe benefits provided in cafeteria systems. This means that the result of this analysis reflects to the preferences of the employees rather than ideas of the employers.

SZÉP-card is on the top, hot-meal voucher was forced into the background.

From the results of the analysis it is obvious, that the new regulations totally mixed up the usual order of popularity. While in the last year the hot-meal vouchers - distributed by the three French providers - dominated the market, this year this cafeteria element decreased dramatically and the leading position was captured by the SZÉP-card allowances.

The traditionally well-positioned voluntary pension fund, voluntary health fund and local transport pass allowances belong to the most popular elements in this year also. Moreover the position of the voluntary health fund increased by 50% compared to the last year, and they nearly approached the SZÉP-card allowances. Local transport passes were also requested in higher ratio this year. It is not surprising that Erzsébet-voucher has become to one of the most popular benefits, it is in the fifth place of the order. The biggest looser is the hot-meal vouchers with a share of 3.6%.

Although the “tax advantage” of tax-free benefits increased considerably in 2012, these benefits have a little influence, they can be considered as layer benefits.

In the last year, more than 97% of the benefits came from the most popular five benefits. This year - with the appearance of SZÉP-card and Erzsébet-voucher, and disappearance of the vacation coupon - six benefits can be considered as popular ones. These six benefits reached the same share as the five ones last year.

If the benefits are investigated according to the aim of usage, it comes to light that the role of the meal allowances is still determining, though their share decreased near to 30%. The share of voluntary health fund and local transport pass increased considerably, while the share of the recreation/vacation allowances increased moderately.


The distribution of the sub-accounts of SZÉP card also reflects to the priority of eating – more than half of the benefits (56%) arrived to the meals sub-account. Moreover the share of this segment might be increasing with the 28% share of the accommodation sub-account, because this allowance can be used for eating purposes at the place of the accommodation.