The ERTC is a refundable payroll tax credit for salaries paid by an employer whose company is totally or partially suspended due to an order related to COVID-19 or who is experiencing a decrease of at least 10 percent in gross income compared to it. calendar quarter of the previous year. Learn more about the employee retention tax credit and hear the story and perspective of an organization that has used and benefited from the ERTC in this episode of The Wrap podcast. By now, most companies have heard of or even applied for employee retention tax credits (ERTC) or a PPP loan.
The employee retention tax credit (ERTC or ERC) was created as part of the CARES Act to encourage companies to continue paying employees by providing a credit to the eligible employer for salaries paid to eligible employees. The deadline for eligible businesses to apply for the ERTC is with their quarterly Form 941 tax returns, which are due on July 31, October. In any calendar quarter in which the ERTC amount exceeds the OASDI taxes imposed on the employer, the franchise is treated as a refundable overpayment. The ERTC is a payroll tax credit (not an income tax credit) and will ultimately be reported on Form 941. The early termination of the ERTC means that companies must pay withheld payroll taxes to monetize their anticipated credit, reported Marvin A.
Eligible salaries under the ERTC for an eligible employer who is not considered a small employer are salaries and health insurance benefits paid to an employee who is not considered a small employer does not provide services due to the effects of the pandemic. Eligible companies, Smith said, can file a retroactive ERTC refund request on qualified wages previously paid during the past calendar quarters by filing Form 941-X, the employer's adjusted quarterly federal tax return, or the request for reimbursement. As stated in Accounting Today One of the most important issues being discussed by the IRS, Congress and the AICPA are the millions of companies that are being attacked by tax credit companies seeking to help them apply for the Employment Withholding Tax Credit (ERTC). The ERTC is available for companies of all sizes: there is no limit to the number of employees, although it is easier for small businesses to take advantage of it.
The IRS has also clarified that tips can be considered qualified wages for ERTC purposes, as long as they are Medicare salaries. Eligible employers can apply for the ERTC by calculating the ERTC amount for a pay period and reducing the required payroll deposit by that amount. If you haven't yet applied for PPP loan forgiveness, consider applying for non-payroll expenses to maximize the salary you can use to apply for your ERTC. The ARPA, for example, allows small employers who received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to also apply for the ERTC.
