Small Benefit Exemption Explained

Maximise Employee Benefits with Tax-Free Rewards

Did you know that you can reward your employees with tax-free benefits? 

Thanks to the Government’s Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, companies in Ireland can now provide employees with non-cash benefits up to a certain value tax-free ! The SWIRL Mastercard Corporate Gift Card is the perfect solution for maximizing this exemption, offering a versatile and appealing reward for your team.

An employee holding up an SWIRL Corporate rewards Card!

Maximise Employee Benefits with Tax-Free Rewards

Thanks to the Government’s Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, companies in Ireland can now reward employees with non-cash benefits valued up to €1,500 per year, completely tax-free. These benefits are exempt from Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) charges for both the employer and the employee.

The SWIRL Mastercard Corporate Gift Card is an ideal way to make the most of this scheme—offering a versatile, convenient, and highly appreciated reward for your team.
Some important points to note when using the scheme include:

  • Rewards can not exceed €1,500 per employee per year.
  • Maximum threshold of 5 awards per employee per year.
  • Rewards must have no access to cash.
  • Reward must be in addition to an employees normal pay
  • Details of the reward must be reported to Revenue (Find out more on this here.)
An employee holding up an SWIRL Corporate rewards Card!

What is the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme ?

Thanks to the Government’s Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, companies in Ireland can now reward employees with non-cash benefits valued up to €1,500 per year, completely tax-free. These benefits are exempt from Benefit-In-Kind (BIK) charges for both the employer and the employee.

The SWIRL Mastercard Corporate Gift Card is an ideal way to make the most of this scheme—offering a versatile, convenient, and highly appreciated reward for your team.
Some important points to note when using the scheme include:

  • Rewards can not exceed €1,500 per employee per year.
  • Maximum threshold of 5 awards per employee per year.
  • Rewards must have no access to cash.
  • Reward must be in addition to an employees normal pay
  • Details of the reward must be reported to Revenue (Find out more on this here.)

Calculate Your Tax-Free Savings with Our Small Benefit Tool

Enter the number of employees you’d like to send SWIRL Gift cards to.

Enter the amount you want to load onto each SWIRL Gift card.

Maximum allowed value is €1500.
Through PayrollThrough SWIRL Gift Card
Reward (Net)€0.00€0.00
PAYE @ 40%€0.00€0.00
USC @ 8%€0.00€0.00
PRSI (EE) @ 4%€0.00€0.00
Subtotal€0.00€0.00
Employer PRSI @ 11.05%€0.00€0.00
Total Cost€0.00€0.00
Total Savings€0.00

Note: The tax-free benefit values shown are based on Ireland’s Small Benefit Exemption scheme (2025). Tax laws and exemption limits may differ in other countries. For accurate guidance, please consult your local tax advisor or relevant tax authority.

Download Our Free 2025 Corporate Gifting Guide

Learn how your business can save up to €1,980 per employee per year with the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme by rewarding your team with SWIRL Corporate Gift Cards.

Our easy-to-follow guide explains how this government-backed scheme allows you to give up to €1,500 in non-cash rewards—completely tax-free and exempt from PRSI and USC.

Download Our Free Tax-Free Rewards Guide (2)











Tax Savings for Employers & Employees

As an employer in Ireland, you have the opportunity to save on tax and PRSI costs by utilising the Small Benefits Exemption Scheme. By taking advantage of this scheme, you can not only give your employees a meaningful gift but also reduce your tax and PRSI costs. 

As you can see from our savings table, rewarding with SWIRL Gift instead of with cash through Payroll can save up to €1980.68 per employee !

Employers have used SWIRL Gift Cards for...

Employee End-of Year Bonus

Workplace Milestones

Employee Rewards & Recognition

Employee of the Month

Peer to Peer Recognition Programs