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A meaningful shift is coming for employers who provide meals to employees for the employer’s convenience. As part of the amendments enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the longstanding deduction for these meals will be eliminated starting with tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

If your organization regularly offers on-site meals, food allowances, or catered options intended to support workflow or workplace efficiency, now is the time to take note.

What’s Changing?

For many years, employers were permitted to deduct 50% of the cost of meals provided for the employer’s convenience, such as meals offered during peak workloads or when employees were required to stay on premises.

Beginning in 2026, those same expenses will become 100% nondeductible, unless a very narrow exception applies. Importantly:

• The nondeductibility applies whether meals are provided directly by the employer or purchased through a third-party vendor or caterer.
• The rule change represents a complete phase-out of the prior 50% deduction, making it essential to evaluate how your organization categorizes and tracks all food-related expenses.

What Remains Deductible?

While convenience meals are losing deductibility, several related expense categories are not affected:

Still Deductible

• Business meeting meals: 50% deductible
• Employee holiday parties and similar social events: 100% deductible

Still Nondeductible

• Entertainment expenses remain fully nondeductible, as under existing law.

These distinctions make proper expense classification more important than ever.

What Employers Should Do Now

As 2026 approaches, businesses should begin reviewing their existing accounting and record-keeping practices. Misclassification of meals, entertainment, or employee events could lead to lost deductions or compliance concerns once these new rules take effect.

We recommend:

• Reviewing how meal and food-related expenses are currently logged
• Ensuring clear separation between meeting meals, social events, entertainment costs, and employer-convenience meals
• Updating internal policies to reflect what will and will not be deductible in future years

If your business needs guidance on preparing for this change or evaluating the potential tax impact, our team is here to help. Please reach out with your questions or to schedule a review.

Pennsylvania’s 2025–26 state budget was signed into law on November 12, 2025. With it comes a series of tax, regulatory, and workforce changes that will directly affect businesses heading into the new year.

The budget includes several tax provisions that will influence corporate planning, investment decisions, and compliance.

Corporate Net Income Tax (CNI) Phase-Down Continues

Pennsylvania will stay on track with the planned Corporate Net Income Tax reductions, moving from 7.99% today to 7.49% in 2026. The broader phase-down, from 9.99% to 4.99%, remains scheduled to continue through 2031. For businesses, this provides continued predictability and long-term planning stability.

Net Operating Loss (NOL) Improvements Maintained

The more favorable NOL rules enacted last year remain in place. Losses incurred after January 1, 2025, may offset up to 80% of tax liability by 2029 (up from the old 40% cap). Pre-2025 NOLs remain capped at 40%. This is especially helpful for capital-intensive industries, early-stage companies, and businesses with irregular revenue cycles.

Pennsylvania Decouples from Several Federal Tax Provisions

Pennsylvania will not follow these recent federal changes:

• Immediate expensing of R&D costs
• Immediate expensing of certain production property
• Expanded interest expense deductions that factor in depreciation and amortization

For state tax purposes, companies must continue to amortize R&E costs over five years and follow older depreciation and interest-deduction rules.

Workforce-Related Tax Credits and Programs

The budget introduces several measures that may influence hiring and retention.

• Working Pennsylvania Tax Credit: A new state credit equal to 10% of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit will help lower-income workers and may encourage workforce participation.
• Child Care Worker Retention & Recruitment: The state is allocating $25 million to support child care workforce stability, an important move for employers struggling with childcare-driven absenteeism.
• New Affordable Housing Tax Credit: A new $10 million tax credit will be administered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to encourage affordable housing development.

Business Implications of Education Funding

These changes may not impact tax planning directly, but they do influence long-term workforce development:

• $872 million in new K–12 public education funding
• Large increases in early literacy initiatives
• Increased tax credit funding for private-school scholarships
• No new spending for Career & Technical Education (CTE), though some hiring flexibility has been added for CTE leaders
• Targeted increases for certain higher-education institutions

What This Means for Your Business

The 2025–26 budget creates a mixed environment for Pennsylvania employers:

Positive Takeaways

• Continued CNI tax rate reductions
• Improved NOL flexibility
• Faster, more transparent permitting
• Reduced carbon-policy uncertainty with RGGI withdrawal
• New workforce-focused tax credits

Areas Requiring Attention

• Divergence from federal rules increases tax-filing complexity
• R&E expensing limitations may affect cash planning
• One-time revenue transfers raise questions about long-term fiscal stability
• Lack of increased CTE funding may continue talent shortages

How Canon Capital Can Help

Tax law changes, especially those that differ from federal rules, require careful planning. If you have questions about how the 2025–26 state budget may impact your company, we’re here to help. Call us today at 215-723-4881 or contact us online.

As you plan year-end appreciation for your team, remember that the IRS still distinguishes between taxable and non-taxable gifts.

• Gift cards remain taxable income, no matter the amount.
• De minimis gifts–the small, infrequent, low-value items like a mug or snack box–are generally non-taxable, as long as they aren’t cash or cash equivalents.
• Bonuses continue to be fully taxable wages and must be processed with appropriate withholding.
• Holiday parties and employee celebrations are typically non-taxable when held occasionally and primarily for staff.

As you plan ways to celebrate your team, our tax and accounting professionals can help you navigate the IRS guidelines and make informed choices that show appreciation without creating unexpected tax issues.