When you’re due for a raise, ask your company to get creative in your compensation. There are numerous ways to receive nontaxable compensation. Let’s look at some of the best alternatives to taxable earned income. Any time you can convert taxable income into nontaxable income, you’ve given yourself a raise. And when both you and your company save money, it’s a win-win situation.
For example, health coverage. Health and hospitalization insurance premiums paid by your current or former employer are tax-free — a huge benefit. Let’s say your health insurance premiums come to $280 a month, or $3,360 a year (for an HMO policy for a family of four with a $1,500 deductible). If you’re in the 25% tax bracket and have to pick up the bill, the real cost to you would be $4,480. That’s $3,360 for the premiums and $1,120 for additional income taxes because you’ll be paying for the coverage in after-tax dollars. Having your company pick up the cost helps both of you. Your employer doesn’t have to pay the salary necessary to get you even, and it gets to write off the full cost of the coverage. Plus, neither of you has to pay the 7.65% payroll taxes on the premiums. And you, of course, boost your disposable income substantially.
By Jeff Schnepper, MSN Money