The recently signed stimulus package included considerable enhancements to the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). The new law, known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) expands the ERC under the CARES Act that went into effect January 1, 2021, with the covered wage period extended until June 20, 2021. This new legislation is also retroactive to wages paid after March 12, 2020; so, employers who took Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans in 2020 are now eligible to take the ERC, provided these wages are not used for both the credit and PPP loan forgiveness.
Tax Changes Under CAA 2021
The good news for employers who continued to pay their employees, despite being forced to close their business either fully or partially by a COVID-19 lockdown, is they are now eligible for an ERC refund.
Period of availability: For qualified wages paid after March 12, 2020, and before July 1, 2021, extending availability of the credit to the first two quarters of 2021. These periods may be outside the covered period for many PPP loan borrowers, and the employee retention tax credit is likely available.
Credit amount: The credit amount increased from 50% to 70% of qualified wages, for 2021, which is amended to include the cost to continue providing health benefits.
Maximum credit
amount: The credit cap is increased to $7,000 for each of the first two quarters of 2021 ($10,000 in qualified wages X 70% tax credit rate), so that the maximum credit for 2021 will be $14,000. This aggregate $14,000 per employee maximum credit for the first two quarters of 2021 is available even if the employer received the $5,000 maximum credit for wages paid to such employee in 2020.
Credit eligibility requirements: The applicable number of employees increased from 100 to 500. This allows employers who had 500 or fewer full-time in 2019 to be eligible for the credit, even if employees are working, provided they meet other requirements. Note that in calculating this 500-employee threshold, the employees of all affiliated companies sharing more the 50% common ownership are aggregated.
Effective January 1, 2021, business operations that are either fully or partially suspended by a COVID-19 lockdown order, or for a quarter in 2021, if gross receipts are less than 80% of gross receipts for the same quarter in 2019. This differs from the original law in 2020 that stipulated gross receipts of less than 50% qualified.
Because the ERC credit can apply to wages already paid after March 12, 2020, many struggling employers can access this credit by reducing upcoming deposits or requesting an advance credit on Form 7200, Advance of Employer Credits Due To COVID-19 (per IRS website).
Advance payment clause: Advance payment of the credit is allowed for businesses with 500 or fewer employees, based on 70% of average quarterly payroll for the same quarter in 2019. Companies may be allowed to collect the payment prior to the payment of wages. However, if the advance payment is larger than the actual credit calculated, the company will need to repay the excess.
Please contact the Spiegel team for advice and any updates on this new legislation.
Author, Jeff Spiegel, CPA
Managing Principal
Spiegel Accountancy
Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties.