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A comment on Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long?. Parent comment

Re:Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long? by CydeWeys on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @11:12AM (#26168001)
For what it's worth, food in the United States is very clearly never a part of your agreed-upon compensation in the way that health/retirement benefits are; it is a "team-building office perk" offered by the employer. If it were actually part of your compensation, then you'd be taxed on it.

I know it may be easy to misunderstand this, and to think of it as part of your compensation, because in a way it feels like it, but in a real legal sense as currently structured it very definitely is not part of your compensation.

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Re:Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long? by ghaff on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @01:01PM (#26169387)
>If it were actually part of your compensation, then you'd be taxed on it.

Which is a somewhat contentious topic. Not an accountant, but seems to be one of those perks that's right at the very edge of IRS rules.

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pa...

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Re:Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long? by CydeWeys on Wednesday February 17, 2021 @01:47PM (#26169937)
To be clear, my statement was descriptive of present circumstances, not normative. As you point out this is in flux and may be changing in the future. If food does become a taxable benefit and part of overall compensation, then I might expect to start seeing some people opting out of it entirely.
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