Maybe your spouse helps out at your small corporation without pay. Although wages are taxable and fringe benefits cost your company, you could be missing out on tax-saving opportunities for hiring your spouse. Consider the following:

You’re saving money in the company 401(k), but what about your spouse?

If certain requirements are met, your spouse can contribute to the plan while the business deducts contributions made on his or her behalf. Frequently, your spouse can build a tidy nest egg within the tax law’s contribution limits.

If you’re paying a hefty bill for your spouse’s health insurance coverage, hiring your spouse as an employee will likely save money.

The amount of your company’s payment is deductible by the business — just like it is for any other employee — even if you’re self-employed.

You typically can’t deduct your spouse’s travel expenses like you can for yourself if he or she is accompanying you on a business trip.

However, if there’s a legitimate business reason for your spouse to make the trip, the travel expenses — such as airfare, hotels and 50 percent of the cost of meals — become deductible.

Is your spouse planning to attend school to improve business skills?

If he or she enrolls in courses through an educational assistance plan, the cost is generally deductible by your business. For the employee-spouse, annual benefits of up to $5,250 are exempt from tax.

Does your business provide group-term life insurance coverage on a nondiscriminatory basis?

Then you know the cost is deductible by the business and the first $50,000 of coverage is tax-free to employees. As a bona fide employee, your spouse can be covered under the plan.

There’s one catch

S corporation owners generally can’t deduct fringe benefits for any employee owning 2 percent or more of the company. This prohibition extends to coverage for an owner’s spouse. Your tax advisor can help you determine when it makes sense to put your spouse on the payroll.