You can live anywhere and still be eligible for cost savings for transit trips, benefits for bikers and walkers, telework options, and tax incentives – so long as your employer is in Montgomery County.

Local Transit Subsidies

Fare Share - Take Note! Program Changes for 2008

Fare Share now offers matched dollars - up to $30,000 each year for three years - to each contributing organization for employees' public transportation to and from your workplace.Transit options include: Ride On, Metrorail, Metrobus, MARC train and vanpool.

In Year One, the participating employer pays up to $57.50 per month for each employee who commutes by transit. Montgomery County matches that amount up to $57.50 per month.

In Year Two, the employer pays up to $69.00 per month for each employee commuting by transit. The County matches the employer’s contribution up to $46.00 per month.

In Year Three, the employer pays up to $80.50 per month for each employee commuting by transit. The County matches the employer’s contribution up to $34.50 per month.

This combined amount of up to $115.00 is tax-free to the employee and a tax deduction for the employer under Federal tax law.

In addition to the tax deduction, employers contributing to their employees’ transit costs are eligible for a TAX CREDIT from the State of Maryland. Be sure to check out Maryland Commuter Choice Tax Credit.

To set up yourown Fare Share program or to get more information, contact us at 301-770-POOL (7665) or email us at commuter.services@montgomerycountymd.gov.

 

Super Fare Share - Program Enhancements for 2008!

If your business is located in one of Montgomery County’s Transportation Management Districts – downtown Bethesda, North Bethesda, Friendship Heights, or downtown Silver Spring-- you could be eligible for up to $270,000 in transit benefits during the next nine years. (For more infomation about Transportation Management Districts, click here.)

Super Fare Share will encourage your staff to take transit to work. You will be providing a valuable benefit to your employees who help reduce traffic congestion, and in turn you’ll be rewarded with improved recruiting and retention for your business. And you may be eligible for a 50% tax credit from the State of Maryland for your out-of-pocket costs!

Changes to Super Fare Share include longer program length, a new annual maximum subsidy for employers, an increase in the tax-free benefit available each month to employees and a progressive employer contribution.

The newly enhanced Super Fare Share is now a nine year program. In Year One, the employer pays $1.00 per participating employee and the County pays up to $114.00 per month per employee. The employer distributes up to $115.00 in Metrocheks and/or Ride On passes – “for free” – to its transit-using employees.

In Years Two to Five, your company would pay up to $57.50 per month per employee, and the County matches your contribution up to $57.50 per month. You will then distribute up to $115 in Metrocheks and/or Ride On passes to each transit commuter each month. In Years Six to Nine, your company’s contribution increases as the County’s matching contribution declines. The following table summarizes Super Fare Share:

Program Year	Employer Share	County Share	Remarks
1	$1	$114.00	County provides up to $114.00/month/employee
2-5	50%	50%	County provides up to $57.50/month/employee
6	60%	40%	County provides up to $46.00/month/employee
7	70%	30%	County provides up to $34.50/month/employee
8	80%	20%	County provides up to $23.00/month/employee
9	90%	10%	County provides up to $11.50/month/employee

In addition to the tax deduction, employers contributing to their employees’ transit costs are eligible for a TAX CREDIT from the State of Maryland. Be sure to check out Maryland Commuter Choice Tax Credit.

To set up your own Super Fare Share program, or to get more information contact us at 301-770-POOL (7665) or email us at commuter.services@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Fare Share Wheaton and Montgomery Hills

This is a now a three-year transit discount program that will give your employees a “raise,” attract quality staff, and save parking spaces for your customers

Your company may be entitled to up to $30,000 in matching dollars from Montgomery County. More than $600 is available for each transit-using employee during the year.

For the first six months, the employer pays $1.00 per transit user per month. Montgomery County provides up to $114.00 per transit user per month; the employee gets a total of $115.00 per month tax free to cover transit costs.

In the second half of the first year, the County will match the employer dollar-for-dollar up to $57.50 for each employee’s monthly transit costs. This combined amount of $115.00 is tax-free to the employee and eligible for tax deductions and tax credits for the employer.

During Year 2, your company would pay up to $69.00 per employee per month, and the County matches your contribution up to $46.00 per month.  During Year 3, your company would pay up to $80.50 per employee per month, and the County matches your contribution up to $34.50 per month.

The total amount of $115.00 per month offered to employees to pay for transit is tax free to the employee and a tax deduction for the employer.

In addition to the tax deduction, employers contributing to their employees’ transit costs are eligible for a TAX CREDIT from the State of Maryland. Be sure to check out Maryland Commuter Choice Tax Credit.

For more information, contact us at 301-770-POOL (7665) or email us at commuter.services@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Maryland Commuter Choice Tax Credit

With the Maryland Commuter Choice Tax Credit employers can receive a tax credit of 50 percent of the amount they spend on employee commuting benefits – up to a maximum of $50 per month for each participating employee.

Any combination of benefits can be used, and employers can take this credit against the State Income Tax, the Financial Institution Tax, or the Insurance premium Tax. It’s your choice.

These employer-provided commuting expenses qualify for the tax credit:

• Metrorail, Metrobus, MARC, and Ride On transit passes, tokens, fare cards provided free or at a reduced cost
• Vanpools, seating eight or more adults, and provided by the employer. Van purchase and leases, fuel, insurance, safety, and equal-access upgrades can qualify for the tax credit if paid directly by the employer.

For more information, contact us at 301-770-POOL (7665) or email us at commuter.services@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Metrochek Vouchers

Employers provide Metrochek, a Metrorail or Metrobus farecard voucher, as a commuter benefit in any amount desired.

• A maximum of $115 per month ($1,380 per year) is allowable tax-free or pre-tax to employees.
• An employer may also establish a Metrochek deduction program, and employees can pay with pre-tax dollars. This money is completely exempt from state and local taxes.
• An employer may provide any part of the $115 benefit and allow employees the option to pay the balance from pre-tax income.
• Or an employer can offer Metrocheks as a salary increase, bonus, award, or other incentive. However, amounts over $115/month are taxable.

Metrocheks don’t expire. They can be exchanged for fares of equal or greater value for bus, vanpool and commuter rail service. They can also be used to load value on SmarTrip cards.

SmartBenefits Program

SmartBenefits is a web-based program that lets employers load the dollar value of an employee’s Metrochek commuter benefit directly on his or her SmarTrip card for use on Metrorail. Employees take their permanent, plastic, electronic SmarTrip card to any Metro station’s Passes/Farecards machine between the first and last day of the benefit month and claim their benefit. The SmarTrip card costs $5 and can be registered with a unique serial number at the time of purchase.

Car Sharing

Car sharing is available at these Metrorail stations in Montgomery County: Bethesda, Grosvenor-Strathmore, Silver Spring, Shady Grove, and White Flint. Call 301-770-POOL (7665) or email us at commuter.services@montgomerycountymd.gov for more information.

Guaranteed Ride Home

If you use mass transit, carpool, vanpool, bicycle, or walk to work at least twice a week, you are eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program, which offers you a free ride home by taxi, rental car, bus, or train, up to four times a year when unexpected personal emergencies arise. Register with Commuter Connections, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments via the link above or call 1-800-745-RIDE (7433).

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