Employer tax free bursaries for student employee

By Marc Sevitz · Updated 13 September 2013

Hi,I am currently busy with my masters degree in management. I am personally paying for all my studies.Can I arrange with my employer to set a certain portion of my salary aside as a bursary which is directly paid to the University thus lowering tax for my employer and myself?Also, is it possible for my employer to claim money from the the Skills Development Levy (SDL)?Basically, I want to know what can I arrange with my employer to reduce our tax burden. My employer will be open to any options I can provide.

TaxTim Marc said:
16 September 2013 at 10:17

You can arrange with your employer under the Learnership Allowance - section 12H of the Income Tax Act. Your employer will be able to pay for some of your studies and get a tax benefit from this payment. However there are strict requirements and limits on the amount so the employer should look into this more carefully. Your employer would also be able to claim the SETA allowance as well.