More than 105 million drivers commute to work every day, and just over six million transit users ride their way to work. Yet only about one million people have caught on to IRS “Section 132(f)” or Qualified Transportation Fringe Benefit. Approximately five million people already riding public transit to commute could be doing so for less.

Save on taxes while commuting

With Section 132(f), employees can designate up to $115 a month -- $1380 a year – as a pre-tax salary deduction to be used to pay for transit fares. Typically, employees save 40 percent from less payroll and income taxes, while employers save eight to ten percent in payroll related costs. Most tax breaks mean a savings when you file your return. This one helps commuters and companies save right away.

Impact on the environment

Everyone is talking about “going green,” but often this translates to some kind of sacrifice, like turning down the heat and sacrificing a level of comfort. Tax-free commuter benefits are a way to “go green” without the sacrifice and actually save money.

The average person can save 20 pounds of carbon every day by switching to public transportation, or 4,800 pounds per year. Weatherizing one’s home and adjusting the thermostat would only result in 2,800 saved pounds of carbon per year or replacing an older refrigerator/freezer saves just 335 pounds of carbon per year.

Accor Services USA, a leader in innovative employee benefits solutions and premier provider of national commuter benefit programs Commuter Check and WiredCommute, offers a toolkit for employees to educate their employers on the benefits of instituting a tax-free commuter benefit program. The toolkit includes:

• a Commuter Tax Savings Calculator -- Easily determine the savings a tax-free commuter benefit would yield an individual and a corporation.
• an Environmental Impact Calculator -- See how commuters and employers carbon footprint impacts the environment and to decrease emissions taking public transit.
• a letter to send to your employer -- Explains the cost and environmental benefits of tax-free commuter benefits.
• a letter from Mother Nature Explains the environmental impact of commuting and cost benefits of using Commuter Check.