Canadian employers can allow those working overtime or travelling to charge more for meals while still excluding the amount from the employee’s income.
The Canada Revenue Agency on Thursday increased from $17 to $23 the amount for which an employer can exclude an overtime meal from income and not report it on the employee’s T4 slip.
The agency also increased by the same amount the rate at which transport employees can claim meal expenses using the simplified method.
The increases are retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020. The $17 value was last updated in 2009.
The agency said the increase “ensures that all employees, including our essential workers, can access meals that meet today’s inflation, as they continue to provide services that support Canadians through this pandemic.”