Tax Code changes impact on employees

As it was already announced, starting with the year 2016, the Tax Code will have some changes. Some of them have a direct impact on employees. An amendment provides that the tickets gift in the value of maximum of 150 lei, will no longer be taxed starting with 2016. Another change is linked to the personal deductions.

The beginning of 2014 brings a set of legislative changes in the tax area. The vast majority has been announced at the end of the last year, so there are few who know these modifications and the fact that they will take effect from January 2014.

Among these changes, we are listing here below the ones with impact in the field of labor and social protection:

Starting with 1^st of January 2011 the minimum gross salary guaranteed payment is set at 670 lei per month according to H.G. 11931/2010, compared with 600 lei as it was at the end of 2010.

The amount of 670 lei is set for a full-time working schedule of 170 hours per month, representing 3.94 lei/hour. The staff compliance with a salary below the minimum gross salary is considered to be a contravention and is punishable by law with a fine of 1.000 lei up to 2.000 lei.

Therefore according with the new provisions, the minimum gross salary is 670 lei for an unqualified worker, a minimum gross salary of 804 lei for a qualified worker, and for the personnel employed in positions that require higher education will be of 1340 lei.

The H.G. 1193/2010 that enables the minimum gross salary guaranteed payment was published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 824 from 9 December 2010.

Romania was fully hit by the global crisis, and construction field was by far one of the most affected areas. However, there is a company that not only survived the crisis but had significant increases in 2009. It’s Algeco.

What was Algeco’s success in Romania? The increase of turnover with 35% in 2009 compared to 2008 and a doubling of operational profit.

We wonder how it was possible, especially in a year that most companies in this area have dropped dramatically?

And here it is the story of Algeco …

Algeco Romania is part of Algeco Scotsman, a leading global provider of services, expert in modular space and storage solutions. In other words, Algeco invests in solutions for space, which provides beneficiaries solving an immediate need at the best quality.

What is more important? The position you have in a company or the salary?
The fact that on our business card is written manager or director, or the hundreds of euros with which we can get the car or the house of your dreams?

Normally a good salary comes with an important position. But this assumption is not generally valid. It may happened to have a satisfactory salary and a less pleasant position. So, how many of us put into balance the importance of the money and of the position? And, if so, what is the result?

Meal tickets can be offered to employees by any kind of company, they are tax deductible and exempt from taxes and social charges.

If so far, including the month of August 2009, in Romania the value of a meal ticket was 8.48 lei/month, starting with September 2009, a ticket will have the value of 8.72 lei.

In the Official Gazette nr.547 from the 6th of August 2009, was published the Order of the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection (MMFPS) no. 1.444/2009 for establishing the nominal value of a ticket for the second half of 2009, which approves the new value of the ticket since September 1, 2009.

It is good to know that the law 142/1998 who regulates the meal tickets regime provides the twice a year indexation of the value of these vouchers. The nominal value of the meal tickets is indexed every six months with the consumer price index of alimentary goods.

Technical unemployment was until recently a concept included in the Romanian Labor Code. After various legislative changes, however, the term “technical unemployment” was removed, and his place was taken by the expressions “suspension of employment” or “a temporary interruption of employment”. However, in common language, the phrase” technical unemployment” is still used when we want to refer to such interruption or temporary suspension of employment contracts.

Regarding the payment of salaries and social contributions during such period, the Government is trying to help the employers in this period, through the Emergency Ordinance no. 28/2009 published in 25 March 2009:

From the 1^st of January 2009, according to the GD 1051/2008, the basic national minimum gross salary , in Romania, has been increased from 540 lei to 600 lei per month for a full time working programmme of 170 hours per month, representing the 3,529 Ron/ hour.

At the minimum wage stated above, coefficients corresponding to each job are applied. For example:

• to employees that are qualified, the coefficient of 1.2 is applied so that they will have a minimum gross salary of 720 RON.
• to employees with University degree, the coefficient of 2 is applied, so that they will have a minimum gross salary of 1200 RON.

Failure to respect these provisions represents contravention and is punished by fine from 1000 to 2000 RON.

One of most important obligations of the employer towards its employees is to pay them. Fulfilling the duties assumed, means for most employers one of the biggest expenses related to their activity. Salaries and their related costs (contributions to health, unemployment, pensions, etc.) usually add up to approximately 60% of total operating costs of a large-scale enterprise.