Professional membership dues

If you pay professional membership dues for your employee and you are the primary beneficiary of the payment, there is no benefit for the employee.

Whether you or the employee is the primary beneficiary is a question of fact. If you pay or reimburse professional membership dues because membership in the organization or association is a condition of employment, we consider you to be the primary beneficiary and there is no taxable benefit for the employee.

When membership is not a condition of employment, you, as the employer, are responsible for determining the primary beneficiary. You have to be prepared to justify your position if we ask you to do so.

In all situations where you pay or reimburse an employee's professional membership dues and the primary beneficiary is the employee, there is a taxable benefit to the employee.

For more information, see Interpretation Bulletin IT158, Employees’ professional membership dues.

You must include any GST/HST that applies in the value of the benefit.

Payroll deductions

If the benefit is taxable, it is also pensionable. Deduct income tax and CPP contributions. If the taxable benefit is paid in cash, it is insurable. Deduct EI premiums. If it is a non cash benefit, it is not insurable. Do not deduct EI premiums.

Reporting the benefit

Report the taxable benefit in box 14 "Employment income" and in the "Other information" area under code 40 at the bottom of the T4 slip. For more information, see T4 – Information for employers.

Forms and publications

• Interpretation Bulletin IT158, Employees' Professional Membership Dues

Date modified:

2016-12-08