Question

Bluebird, Inc., does not provide its employees with any tax-exempt fringe benefits. The company is considering adopting a hospital and medical benefits insurance plan that will cost approximately $9,000 per employee. To adopt this plan, the company may have to reduce salaries and/or lower future salary increases. Bluebird is in the 25% (combined Federal and state rates) bracket. Bluebird also is responsible for matching the Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld on employees' salaries (at the full 7.65% rate). The hospital and medical benefits insurance plan will not be subject to the Social Security and Medicare taxes, and the company is not eligible for the small business credit for health insurance. The employees generally fall into two marginal tax rate (MTR) groups.
Income Tax Social Security and Medicare Tax Total
0.15 0.0765 0.2265
0.35 0.0145 0.3645

The company has asked you to assist in its financial planning for the hospital and medical benefits insurance plan by computing the following:

Required:
a. How much taxable compensation is the equivalent of $9,000 of exempt compensation for each of the two classes of employees?
b. What is the company’s after-tax cost of the taxable compensation computed in part (a)?
c. What is the company’s after-tax cost of the exempt compensation?
d. Briefly explain your conclusions from the preceding analysis.

Answer 1

Answer:

a. The Before Tax Compensation for each of the two classes of employees are as follows:

Low (0.15) = $11,635.42

High (0.35) = $14,162.08

b. The Employer's after tax cost of taxable compensation for each of the two classes of employees are as follows:

Low (0.15) = $9,394.15

High (0.35) = $10,775.57

c. The Employer's after tax cost of exempt benefit for each of the two classes of employees are as follows:

Low (0.15) = $6,750

High (0.35) = $6,750

d. The cost in employer's after tax cost of exempt benefit will be less than employer's after tax cost of taxable compensation.

Explanation:

a. How much taxable compensation is the equivalent of $9,000 of exempt compensation for each of the two classes of employees?

Note: See part a of the attached excel file for the calculation of Before Tax Compensation for each of the two classes of employees.

From part a of the attached excel, the Before Tax Compensation for each of the two classes of employees are as follows:

Low (0.15) = $11,635.42

High (0.35) = $14,162.08

b. What is the company’s after-tax cost of the taxable compensation computed in part (a)?

Note: See part b of the attached excel file for the calculation of Employer's after tax cost of taxable compensation.

From part b of the attached excel, the Employer's after tax cost of taxable compensation for each of the two classes of employees are as follows:

Low (0.15) = $9,394.15

High (0.35) = $10,775.57

c. What is the company’s after-tax cost of the exempt compensation?

Note: See part c of the attached excel file for the calculation of Employer's after tax cost of exempt benefit.

From part c of the attached excel, the Employer's after tax cost of exempt benefit for each of the two classes of employees are as follows:

Low (0.15) = $6,750

High (0.35) = $6,750

d. Briefly explain your conclusions from the preceding analysis.

Comparing employer's after tax cost of exempt benefit in comparison and employer's after tax cost of taxable compensation, it can be seen that cost in employer's after tax cost of exempt benefit will be less than employer's after tax cost of taxable compensation.

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