“Remuneration”  means any amount of income which is paid or payable to any person by way of any salary, leave pay, allowance, wage, overtime pay, bonus, gratuity, commission, fee, emolument, pension, superannuation allowance, retiring allowance, stipend or commutation of a pension or an annuity, whether in cash or otherwise and whether or not in respect of services rendered.

A variety of advantages and benefits granted by an employer or on behalf of an employer to an employee, spouse or child are also taxable.

Advantage or benefit includes board, occupation of quarters or residence, or the use of furniture or motor vehicle. It also includes the use of or enjoyment of any other property whatsoever, corporeal or incorporeal, including a loan, an allowance, passage benefit and any other advantage or benefit whatsoever in lieu of or in the nature of remuneration as stated above.

The value for tax purposes of an advantage or benefit, other than a payment by way of an allowance, is determined as follows:

(i) In the case of the occupation or use of quarters, residence or furniture, by reference to its value to the employee; and

(ii) In the case of any other advantage or benefit, by reference to the cost to the employer

The following are some of the examples of the benefits/advantages normally granted to employees and how they should be taxed:

Data and Airtime for use at the home or outside work premises

With effect from 1 January 2022, the definition of advantage or benefit now includes the provision of data and airtime given by the employer to the employee for use at the home or outside work premises. The deemed benefit is pegged at 30% of the cost to the employer.

Note: There is no deemed benefit if the employer proves to the Commissioner that data and airtime was all used for the purposes of business. Records pertaining to business transactions should be kept by the employer in order for the benefit not to be taxed. The primary record to be maintained shall be the Call Log Statement provided by the telecommunications service provider and such other records as the employer may maintain which show the usage of the data or airtime. The onus of proof will lie with the employer at all times.  

Use of motor vehicle

Where an employee enjoys the use of a company vehicle or is allocated a company vehicle, the value of the benefit is determined according to the engine capacity of the vehicle. The deemed motor vehicle benefits are as follows

The deemed benefits for 2024 are as shown in table below in USD or equivalent amounts in ZiG at the prevailing exchange rate on the day of payment, for ZiG income.

The deemed cost should be reduced proportionately where the period of use for the motor vehicle is less than 12 months.

Passage benefit

The benefit covers the cost borne by an employer on travels by an employee, spouse or children, which are not for the purposes of the employer’s business.  This includes the cost on taking up of employment or termination of employment where such costs have been previously offered to the employee.

Occupation of residence

A  benefit arises where the employer  grants the employee free accommodation or pays subsidized rentals or rental charges  which  are below the open market rates  applicable in that area.

Where the employee does not pay anything towards that accommodation , the whole amount - determined on the basis of the open market value -  is a benefit and subject to tax. Where an employee pays rentals less than the open market value of the house/accommodation, the difference between the amount paid and the market value constitutes a benefit. For example, if an employee occupies a house granted by the employer and valued at ZiG$1000 per month for which he/she pays ZiG$300 per month as rent, the benefit to be taxed in the employee’s hands would be ZiG$700 per month.

For valuation of quarters or residences other than those mentioned above, the respective employers may engage and agree with ZIMRA before determining the benefit.

School fees benefit

Where the employer pays school fees for the employee’s children, the cost of the fees payable becomes taxable in the hands of the employee. In cases where the employer is a school and the employee’s child is admitted/enrolled at the school without paying school fees or pays fees that are less than those paid by other students attending the same school, the foregone fees become  a taxable benefit  in the hands of the employee. In addition, any school fees discounts or reductions granted because of the employer-employee relationship become taxable benefits in the hands of the employee.

In the case of an employee who is a member of the teaching or non-teaching staff of a school, only half the amount or value of a school benefit shall be brought into his/her gross income and shall apply to only three of the children of the employee concerned.

Allowances/ incentives

Allowances/incentives granted by the employer or on behalf of the employer to an employee, spouse or child form part of gross income and are liable to tax.

Performance Award

The tax-free threshold amount for employees’ bonus and performance awards remains at US$700 for foreign currency bonus for 2023. From 1 November 2023 the ZWL currency bonus was increased from ZWL$500,000 to ZWL$7,500,000. With effect from 1 January 2024, the tax-free threshold for those paid in foreign currency is USD400 or ZiG equivalent at the prevailing exchange rate on the day of payment, for ZiG income.

Other benefits

There are a number of benefits that can be granted to employees. Clients are, therefore, advised to contact their nearest office for guidance on tax treatment if needed.