Cell Phones

We currently pay for some designated employees cell phones but we are looking to write specific guidelines in regard to determination of employees and amounts...will anyone care to share what your bank's guidelines are? Thanks!

for employees that we issue cell phones to, we use blackberry smartphones with voice, text, and internet. Our plan has a ton of minutes and texting, so we've never had an issue with "using too much"

Check the new IRS rules. Most employers have moved to a flat cell phone allowance calculated into the employees paychecks.

Randy

I think that the rule that your are refering to has been struck down.

http://blogs.findlaw.com/free_enterprise/2010/02/obamas-budget-may-repeal-cell-phone-tax.html

Thanks! Any other suggestions?

I think you meant could be struck down - it still stands today.

http://www.webcpa.com/news/IRS-Puts-Cell-Phone-Proposal-on-Hold-52960-1.html

http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2010/01/Policy-and-Industry-IRS-Cell-Phone-Tax-Government/

http://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/EB_CongressDeListsCellPhones_LF_29sept10.pdf

I could not find anything on the IRS site.

Just to clarify.....we aren't looking at furnishing the cell phones, just allot amount for monthly cell phone use.....for example IT officer who uses her cell phone after hours and on weekends for IT purposes......so just looking for general idea of any set amounts that others might allot for this purpose......like X amount per month or pay certain percentage of bill..........

Thanks!

My wife gerts $100 a month cell phone allowance which is added to her W-2. She is then responsibile for the actual bill and any charges for equipment.

Thanks! that gives us an idea to go with.....guess best thing to do would be to look at ones that it may apply to and determine reasonable amount based on their job and factors of cell phone use.....

if it is a requirement that the employee be accessible by phone for after hours and weekends, then you should be furnishing the phone for them. That is standard practice for the banks in our area...

We do the same as RLCarey's wife's employer - $XX/mo for cell, $XX/mo for car/travel, etc - separate from salary, but on paycheck....We're responsible for our own phone purchase.

We gave key employees with a business need for a mobile device a one-time raise (about $85 per month) three years ago and got out of reimbursements of any kinds. New hires need to negotiate their salary knowing they will not be reimbursed for their phone.

I think a few who were recently promoted to a position that now requires a cell phone received an additional one-time bump in their salary too.