[lotsofpulp]

I doubt it. The IRS does not say cash back rewards from credit card spend is taxable income, which is as explicitly rewarding spending as you can get.

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/110614/are-credit-c...

> So, where do cash-back reward programs fit in? It varies. If a cash-back reward is credited directly to your credit card account, then the income is generally considered a nice rebate that comes with the benefit of using the card. If you actually receive a cash-back check directly, though, it gets a little trickier: It probably also would be considered a type of rebate, but it could technically count as income.

[PopAlongKid]

> IRS does not say cash back rewards from credit card spend is taxable income

No, it's just a rebate/discount made directly to the purchaser. For tax purposes, if they buy something for $100 and get a $2 cash back, it just means they spent $98.

It's very different when there's a third party - employee - involved. The "reward" is going to someone who never spent any money, and so generally would be considered taxable compensation to them. OF course, regulatory exceptions in the tax code are nothing new, and it seems like this might need to be re-visited soon.

[lotsofpulp]

That is a good point. I guess it might be too complex to keep track of what entity paid for which points and so they let it slide.

[pavlov]

But is someone getting personal cash back rewards from corporate credit card spending?

That would be the equivalent of the airline situation.