Although the ERC is not considered taxable income, according to Section 280C of the IRC, employers' tax credits result in a reduction in wages in the amount of the credit. These frequently asked questions are not included in the Internal Revenue Bulletin and therefore cannot be relied upon as a legal authority. This means that information cannot be used to support a legal argument in a court case. An employer who receives a qualified wage tax credit, including assignable expenses from a qualified health plan, does not include the credit in gross income for federal income tax purposes.
Neither the portion of the credit that reduces labor taxes applicable to the employer nor the refundable part of the credit are included in the employer's gross income. The client employer is responsible for avoiding a “double benefit” with respect to the employee retention credit and the credit under section 45S of the Internal Revenue Code. The client employer cannot use the salaries that were used to apply for the employee retention credit and reported by the third payer on behalf of the client employer to claim the 45S credit on their income tax return. Any eligible employer can choose not to apply for the employee retention credit for any calendar quarter by not claiming the credit on the employer's employment tax return.
The ERC is not a tax. This is a refundable tax credit for the salaries of qualifying employees. Small employers receive improved benefits under the ERC regime. Specifically, for as long as they are eligible employers, they can include salaries paid to all employees.
Large employers can only include salaries paid to employees for not providing services. Technically, yes, but only qualifying salaries are paid while mandates are in effect and have a more than nominal impact on the business. Instead, the employer must reduce the wage deductions on your income tax return for the tax year in which you are an eligible employer for ERC purposes. The employee withholding credit is a fully refundable tax credit that eligible employers claim against certain employment taxes.
It is not a loan and does not need to be repaid. For most taxpayers, the refundable credit exceeds the payroll taxes paid in a credit-generating period. While an employer cannot include salaries financed by a PPP loan in the ERC calculation, PPP funds only apply to eight to ten weeks of wage expenses. ERC eligibility periods are longer.
PPP loans can also finance non-wage expenses. No, but, if possible, assign the maximum allowable non-wage costs to the PPP that is forgiven. It is likely that the fund's sister-sister holding companies may be treated as separate operations or businesses when considering the status of eligible employers, since the Fund that owns the holding companies is not an active operation or business (rather a passive investment vehicle). Cherry Bekaert LLP and Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC practice an alternative practice structure in accordance with the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct and applicable laws, regulations and professional standards.
Cherry Bekaert LLP is an independent, licensed CPA firm that provides certification services to its clients, and Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC and its subsidiary entities provide tax and business advisory services to its clients. Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC and its subsidiary entities are not licensed CPA firms. The entities that belong to the Cherry Bekaert brand are independently owned and are not responsible for the services provided by any other entity that provides services under the Cherry Bekaert brand. Our use of the terms “our Firm” and “we” and “us” and terms of similar importance denotes the alternative practice structure of Cherry Bekaert LLP and Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC.
Disaster Loan Advisors can help your company with the complex and confusing employee retention credit (ERC) and employee retention tax credit (ERTC) program. .
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