Maternity benefit tax could cost women up to €3,000

Mothers and pregnant women face losses of up to nearly €3,000 a year as part of the tax on maternity benefit which came into force on July 1st.

Women’s representatives said the measure was a mean-spirited move by the Government.

The tax will contribute €15m to the exchequer in 2013, and €40m per full year from then on.

But the National Women’s Council yesterday expressed concern that many women were not aware when the reductions in benefit would take affect.

Its policy advisor Ann Irwin explained: “It’s a very mean-spirited move in a lot of ways. Even the commission on taxation has said that maternity benefit should remain outside the tax net. It’s there for mothers to nurture children when outside the workforce.

“The benefit payments are an important acknowledgment for mothers of the cost of having a baby in Ireland.”

Opposition parties have branded the new tax measure as “anti-family” and it could see working mothers pay up to €2,700. Mothers will pay different rates depending on their top-up payments from their employer as well as assessments on their means.

The tax could see benefits reduced by up to €103 a week, the council said.

The Department of Social Protection paid out €309m in maternity benefit payments in 2011.

Mothers get between €217.80 and €260 a week in payments for 26 weeks.

The council said women who got employer top-up payments would be worst affected but that it remained unknown how many would be affected by the levy.

But ministers have insisted women overall will not be worse off. Some had been receiving high payments while on maternity leave, ministers have also said.

However, Ms Irwin said many women remained in the dark about the tax. “The first they may know about it while on leave is when their next pay package comes in.”

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Posted byDenise CowleyinPAYEPayroll SoftwarePRSI

Taxation of Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit & Health & Safety Benefit

From 1st July 2013 Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit & Health & Safety Benefit payable by the Department of Social Protection will be taxable in full.  These payments will be taxable but will not be subject to USC or PRSI.  

The Revenue Commissioners have confirmed that employees in receipt of Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit or Health & Safety Benefit will have their tax credit and standard rate cut-off point reduced to reflect the benefit they have received.  As the benefit will be taxed by Revenue and not at source the recipients will continue to receive the same payment from the Department of Social Protection. 

Employers will be advised of the adjusted tax credits and standard rate cut-off points on the tax credit certificates (P2C’s).  As the benefit will be taxed by reducing the employee’s tax credits and standard rate cut-off point, employers are NOT to include figures for the benefit on Revenue forms i.e. P45, P60 or P35L.

Bright Contracts – Employment contracts and handbooks.
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What you as an employer need to know about LPT (Local Property Tax)

An employee may opt with Revenue for their LPT liability to be collected by deduction from their salary/wages.

Revenue will communicate to you how much you should deduct from employees in the P2C file (details of tax credits and cut off points) which will be sent to your ROS inbox in June 2013. The LPT field is a new field within the P2C file and BrightPay will detect it automatically once imported into the software. Paper tax credit certificates will also contain this new LPT field and BrightPay will have a new field for inputting the LPT amount manually.

LPT deductions commence for pay dates from 1st July 2013 and, in accordance with Revenue guidelines, BrightPay will deduct the LPT amount evenly over the remainder of the 2013 year. Where, in any pay period, there is insufficient pay to enable deduction of LPT, the balance remaining will be spread evenly over the remaining pay periods.

The LPT deduction, the amount deducted to date and the balance of LPT still to be deducted will be shown on payslips.

The amount you pay to the Collector General by way of a P30 (monthly or quarterly) will include the LPT amount that you have collected. P45s and P60s will also include a new LPT field.

We will be releasing an upgrade in June to handle all of the above.

As with all other statutory deductions, you will be obliged to deduct LPT in accordance with the P2C instruction from Revenue. If an employee has an issue, they must contact Revenue directly. You, as employer, have no discretion in the matter! Revenue can pursue you as employer for any amounts you fail to deduct, charge interest on late payment and fine you for non-compliance.

Bright Contracts – Employment contracts and handbooks.
BrightPay – Payroll Software

Posted byCaroline MaloneinPAYEPayrollPayroll SoftwarePRSISoftware UpgradeWages