Tax-Free Student Loan Reimbursement: What Employees and Employers Need to Know
Tax-free student loan reimbursement has been an increasingly valuable benefit for employees and employers alike — allowing workers to receive employer contributions toward their student loan payments without those contributions being taxed as income. This provision, originally temporary, has shaped workplace benefits and helped millions manage their student debt. What Is Tax-Free Student Loan Reimbursement? Under Internal Revenue Code Section 127, employers can offer educational assistance programs that exclude up to $5,250 per year of benefits from an employee’s taxable income. Originally, this applied to tuition, fees, books, and supplies — but recent legislation expanded it to include employer payments toward qualified student loan principal and interest. Thanks to provisions in the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, employers could contribute directly to employees’ student loans — either by paying the lender or reimbursing the employee — without federal...