No, if your employer is giving you $10k worth of meals (their cost to produce them) and charging you $100 for it, you are taxable on the $9,900 benefit.
Do employees today get taxed on the value of the free food ? Why would that be different if it costs 1$ , and how do you define the value of the free food anyways ?
So if I buy a product for $100, that cost a company $200 to produce, I am liable for a $100 taxable benefit? Now I'm _definitely_ staying away from all those Black Friday and BOGO sales.
The grandparents comment is specifically true of employment fringe benefits, and not true of sales to the general public, though meals may be excluded if they meet the rest of being provided for the emplkyer’s convenience.
