Employee Retention Credit

[Terry D EA]

This post may belong somewhere else and Judy can move it if it does. There is a new "Employee Retention Credit" on the IRS page to assist employers as a result of COVID-19. This credit can be refundable as well if the employer meets either of the two requirements.

For those who don't like opening attachments:

Employee Retention Credit
The Employee Retention Credit is a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes
equal to 50 percent of the qualified wages an eligible employer pays to employees after March
12, 2020, and before January 1, 2021. Eligible employers can get immediate access to the credit
by reducing employment tax deposits they are otherwise required to make. Also, if the
employer's employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may get
an advance payment from the IRS.
For each employee, wages (including certain health plan costs) up to $10,000 can be counted to
determine the amount of the 50% credit. Because this credit can apply to wages already paid
after March 12, 2020, many struggling employers can get access to this credit by reducing
upcoming deposits or requesting an advance credit on Form 7200, Advance of Employer Credits
Due To COVID-19.
Employers, including tax-exempt organizations, are eligible for the credit if they operate a trade
or business during calendar year 2020 and experience either:
1. the full or partial suspension of the operation of their trade or business during any calendar
quarter because of governmental orders limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings due to
COVID-19, or
2. a significant decline in gross receipts.
A significant decline in gross receipts begins:
• on the first day of the first calendar quarter of 2020
• for which an employer’s gross receipts are less than 50% of its gross receipts
• for the same calendar quarter in 2019.
The significant decline in gross receipts ends:
• on the first day of the first calendar quarter following the calendar quarter
• in which gross receipts are more than of 80% of its gross receipts
• for the same calendar quarter in 2019.
The credit applies to qualified wages (including certain health plan expenses) paid during this
period or any calendar quarter in which operations were suspended.
Qualified wages
The definition of qualified wages depends on how many employees an eligible employer has.
If an employer averaged more than 100 full-time employees during 2019, qualified wages are
generally those wages, including certain health care costs, (up to $10,000 per employee) paid to
employees that are not providing services because operations were suspended or due to the
decline in gross receipts. These employers can only count wages up to the amount that the
employee would have been paid for working an equivalent duration during the 30 days
immediately preceding the period of economic hardship.
If an employer averaged 100 or fewer full-time employees during 2019, qualified wages are those
wages, including health care costs, (up to $10,000 per employee) paid to any employee during
the period operations were suspended or the period of the decline in gross receipts, regardless
of whether or not its employees are providing services.
Impact of other credit and relief provisions
An eligible employer's ability to claim the Employee Retention Credit is impacted by other credit
and relief provisions as follows:
• If an employer receives a Small Business Interruption Loan under the Paycheck Protection
Program, authorized under the CARES Act, then the employer is not eligible for the Employee
Retention Credit.
• Wages for this credit do not include wages for which the employer received a tax credit for
paid sick and family leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
• Wages counted for this credit can't be counted for the credit for paid family and medical
leave under section 45S of the Internal Revenue Code.
• Employees are not counted for this credit if the employer is allowed a Work Opportunity Tax
Credit under section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code for the employee.
Claiming the credit
In order to claim the new Employee Retention Credit, eligible employers will report their total
qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly
employment tax returns, which will be Form 941 for most employers, beginning with the second
quarter. The credit is taken against the employer's share of social security tax but the excess is
refundable under normal procedures.
In anticipation of claiming the credit, employers can retain a corresponding amount of the
employment taxes that otherwise would have been deposited, including federal income tax
withholding, the employees' share of Social Security and Medicare taxes, and the employer's
share of Social Security and Medicare taxes for all employees, up to the amount of the credit,
without penalty, taking into account any reduction for deposits in anticipation of the paid sick
and family leave credit provided in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (PDF).
Eligible employers can also request an advance of the Employee Retention Credit by submitting
Form 7200.
Page Last Reviewed or Updated: 07-Apr-2020

 

Employee Retention Credit _ Internal Revenue Service.pdf

[DANRVAN]

1 hour ago, Terry D said:

This credit can be refundable as well if the employer meets either of the two requirements.

That falls under section 2301 of the CARES ACT.  

Important to note that it can not be used by participants in the PPP.

[Briiliant]

Quote

. the full or partial suspension of the operation of their trade or business during any calendar
quarter because of governmental orders limiting commerce, travel, or group meetings due to
COVID-19, 

1) is state of NY in this category  for the entire 2nd quarter of 2020?

 2) even for essential business? or it matters between phase 1,2,3,& 4?

 3) is the payroll of an 100% shareholder of an S corporation also considered Qualified wages? 

 4) Does the retention credit ends on the day of the suspension relief even within a Quarter?

 

Quote

. a significant decline in gross receipts.
A significant decline in gross receipts begins:
• on the first day of the first calendar quarter of 2020
• for which an employer’s gross receipts are less than 50% of its gross receipts
• for the same calendar quarter in 2019

does this rule apply also to non for profit?