What Benefits Can Be Included in an IRS Cafeteria Plan?
If you’ve spent any time looking at employee benefits lately, you’ve probably come across the phrase IRS cafeteria plan. It sounds a bit strange at first. Cafeteria? Benefits? Taxes? What’s the connection? But once you understand it, the concept is actually pretty straightforward. An IRS cafeteria plan allows employees to choose certain benefits and pay for them with pre-tax dollars. That means less taxable income, which usually means more money staying in their pocket. Employers benefit too. Payroll taxes drop. Benefit options become more flexible. And honestly, it’s one of the more practical tools businesses can use to make compensation packages better without raising salaries across the board. Still, a lot of companies either misunderstand the cafeteria 125 plan or assume it’s complicated to set up. It’s really not as intimidating as it sounds. Let’s walk through what it actually is, how it works, and why so many employers are starting to take it seriously. Understanding the I...