Definition: Payments to employees' savings schemes

Category: Labour market

It includes sums paid into savings schemes for employees (company savings schemes, share-purchase schemes, etc.).  Payments made to set up a special fund for purchasing company shares or other financial assets for employees, even if they do not have immediate access to such assets, must be reduced by the amount of any tax exemption which may apply to them. The distribution of shares, free of charge or the sale of shares at a reduced price to staff or to the special funds may be regarded as expenditure only if the shares in question are purchased on the market.  The cost to the enterprise is determined by the difference between the purchase price and the selling or transfer price.