Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Employee Retention Credit (ERC)? ERC is a refundable payroll tax credit. Born out of the same CARES Act as PPP, its aim is to provide economic relief for small and medium businesses who retained employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially, eligible employers could only take either PPP, or ERC. In 2021, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress amended this provision, allowing businesses to apply for both.
How is ERC different from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)? PPP was a forgivable loan. ERC returns the payroll taxes that your business has already paid. Once you receive the ERC funds from the US Treasury, no further action is required on your part.
Why haven't I heard about ERC before? PPP was heavily marketed by the SBA, while ERC is claimed directly through the US Treasury. Along with our bank partners, it’s our mission to educate you and obtain for your business the payroll tax refund that it’s entitled to.
Why can't my CPA do this for? There are over 70,000 pages of tax code; it’s impossible to be an expert on all of them. ERC is all we do. It’s like the difference between your family doctor and a neurologist. By concentrating on this one program, we understand the intricacies and nuances involved in determining your eligibility and accurately calculating your refunds.
How do I know if my business qualifies? The IRS expects 70% - 80% of small and medium businesses to qualify. If your business experienced disruptions to commerce, travel, or group meetings, you qualify! This includes supply chain disruptions, price increases, staffing shortages, difficulty hiring, reduced hours, reduction in goods or services offered, were unable to travel, or attend conventions. Talk to one of our Refund Specialists to find out more.
What if we wait to claim ERC? Time is of the essence as the program has technically expired. We have a limited window of time to claw back the money which is rightfully owed to you. The program could run out of allocated funds at anytime and is subject to the whims of congress. Don’t delay!
Do I have to pay this back? It’s a refund of payroll taxes. It’s YOUR money! There are no limitations on how you use it.
My business was profitable or deemed essential, can I still qualify? Absolutely! Both Essential and Non-essential businesses alike can qualify, and a decline in revenue is only one of determining criteria. Many of our clients even had increases in sales, but still experienced disruptions or were negatively impacted.
What is your fee and when do we pay it? There are no up-front fees or obligation to receive your refund analysis. Once engaged to recover your refunds, our fee is negotiated based on complexity of each case with no hidden costs. You will never come out of pocket to pay our fee. We’re paid if you receive your refund checks. Our fee includes preparation of your claims by an expert who specializes in qualifying, substantiating, calculating, and claiming ERC refunds. We also stand behind our work with Audit assistance at no additional cost, we would help with substantiating any claims or answer any questions that might come from IRS during the filing process.
How long will it take to get my refund? Our work will be completed within 2 weeks of receiving your documents. You’ll receive refund checks from the US Treasury in 5 - 8 months depending upon backlog. The longer you wait, the longer it will take!
How is the refund calculated? Determining the proper amount that you’re entitled to is a complex accounting process. Although these are payroll tax credits, what you’ve paid in payroll tax has no bearing on your ERC calculations. The refunds are based on many factors including qualifying quarters, number of employees, hours worked, wages paid and if applicable, PPP loans, group health premiums and participation in other government programs to name a few.
But I've been told my business does not qualify. Our team has already recovered millions of dollars in refunds that businesses were entitled to. Many times for companies who were previously told they didn’t qualify. It won’t cost you a penny to see how much we can recover for you.