Many BNP Paribas Fortis employees targeted for tax relief

Since 2016, the tax administration has rejected the deduction of a certain number of contributions and wants to impose on them a benefit of any complementary nature. The management of the bank, however, disputes this method.

A cafeteria plan was approved in 2012 at BNP Paribas Fortis. The new collective labor agreement, which concerned the 18,000 employees at the time, provided for a 3% reduction in the fixed salary and a guarantee of employment for five years. In return, the employees were entitled to different compensation formulas (company cars, contributions to the pension fund, variable remuneration), recalls La Libre.

Since 2013, the bank allowed holders of "cafeteria cars" to cancel their advantage of any kind by deducting gasoline tickets, car wash, etc. Until 2016, the method was approved by the tax authorities, even after a thorough check, says BNP Paribas Fortis.

"Starting with the 2016 tax year, however, the tax administration has revised its initial position. It rejects the deduction of a number of contributions and therefore wants to impose on employees a benefit of any complementary nature"Says the bank. Persuaded to be in her right, however, the latter has retained its method of work because it believes that this new way of doing has no legal basis.

BNP Paribas Fortis will therefore initiate a procedure before the Council of State and ensure accompanying the workers concerned, whose number is precisely unknown. The unions mention several thousand of them and a potential figure of 6,000. The bank says that nearly half of its 13,000 employees may have received a letter of recovery from the administration. This does not mean, however, that they are all in this situation, she insists.

In the meantime, the workers concerned are obliged to strictly follow the procedure of the tax administration, the bank emphasizes. According to the unions, this recovery could cost them from 100 to 700 or even 800 euros, depending on the car model chosen.