13/10/2026
: Benefit in Kind
A benefit in kind is a non-cash perk an employer provides to an employee or director on top of their salary. HMRC treats it as taxable income.
Common examples include a company car, private medical insurance, a gym membership paid for by the business, or an interest-free loan above £10,000.
HMRC assigns a cash equivalent value to each benefit. The employee pays income tax on that value at their normal rate. The employer pays Class 1A National Insurance on the same value, which is 15% for 26/27.
Most benefits are currently reported to HMRC once a year on a P11D form. From April 2027 this starts to change, with mandatory payrolling of certain benefits coming in and tax being collected in real time through payroll instead.
Not everything counts as a taxable benefit. Some perks are exempt, including professional subscriptions on HMRC’s approved list and trivial benefits costing no more than £50.
Not sure whether a perk your business provides counts as a benefit in kind? Give me a call or message me via WhatsApp on 01726 932182.
You can find the full set of Translation Tuesday terms at https://jbaccounts.co.uk/the-jargon-translator/ and a new one is added every week.