How to Apply for and Get Employee Retention Credit (ERC)

Published on: 13 March 2023 Last Updated on: 12 September 2024
Employee Retention Credit

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a tax credit that was introduced as part of the CARES Act in 2020 to help small businesses retain their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. For wages given to qualified employees between March 13, 2020, and December 31, 2021, employers who participate in the ERC are entitled to receive a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per worker. The credit has since been extended and expanded under subsequent legislation, making it an important resource for small businesses that have struggled with the economic impact of the pandemic.

As a small business owner, you may be wondering if you are eligible for the ERC and how to go about claiming it. This guide will walk you through the eligibility requirements, calculation, and application process for the ERC. We’ll also answer some common questions about credit and provide tips for maximizing your benefit. If you’re a small business owner looking for ways to retain your employees and stay afloat during these challenging times, read on to learn how the ERC can help.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility requirements for the ERC are determined by the IRS and are based on several factors, including the size of the business, the impact of the pandemic on the business, and the number of wages paid to employees during the qualifying period.

Employers who had a significant drop in gross receipts compared to the same quarter in 2019 were considered eligible for assistance under the CARES Act. This condition was determined by two factors: first, whether the employer had a whole or partial suspension of activities as a result of a government order linked to COVID-19, and second, whether the firm had had a considerable decrease in gross receipts. Subsequent legislation has expanded eligibility to include employers that experienced a decline in gross receipts of at least 20% in any quarter of 2020 or 2021 compared to the same quarter in 2019, among other criteria.

It is important for small businesses to carefully review the eligibility requirements for the ERC to determine if they qualify for the credit. This will help ensure that they can maximize their benefits and receive the financial support they need to retain their employees and stay afloat during these challenging times.

ERC Calculation

The ERC is calculated as a percentage of qualified wages paid to employees during the eligible period. The credit rate is 50% of qualified wages for the first half of 2021 and 70% of qualified wages for the second half of 2021. The maximum amount of qualified wages that can be taken into account for each employee is $10,000 per quarter, which means the maximum credit per employee is $5,000 for the full year.

The maximum amount of the ERC is $5,000 per employee for the full year. This means that if an eligible employer pays qualified wages of $10,000 to an employee during the eligible period, they can claim a credit of $5,000 for that employee.

To claim the ERC, eligible employers can reduce their federal employment tax deposits or request an advance payment from the IRS. If the credit exceeds the employer’s federal employment tax liability, they can request a refund for the excess amount. It’s important to note that employers cannot claim the ERC and the same wages for other relief programs like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

How To Apply For The ERC?

How To Apply For The ERC?

 

To apply for the ERC, eligible employers can claim the credit on their federal employment tax returns, including Form 941 or Form 943, for the eligible quarters. They can also request an advance payment of the credit by filing Form 7200 with the IRS. Eligible employers should consult with their tax advisor or accountant to determine the best method for applying for credit.

Documentation Required

To support their claim for the ERC, eligible employers must maintain documentation that shows the number of employees and the number of qualified wages paid to them during the eligible period. The documentation should also show the impact of the pandemic on the business, such as government orders or significant declines in gross receipts.

Deadline To Apply

The deadline to apply for the ERC is generally three years from the date the federal employment tax return is filed or two years from the date the tax is paid, whichever is later. Eligible employers should file their employment tax returns and claim the ERC as soon as possible to maximize their benefits.

It is important for small businesses to understand the application process for the ERC, including the documentation required and the deadline to apply.

Conclusion

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a valuable financial relief option for eligible small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. To successfully apply for and receive the ERC, small businesses must meet the eligibility requirements, understand how to calculate the credit, and follow the application process, including providing the necessary documentation.

The ERC can provide small businesses with much-needed financial support to retain their employees and sustain their operations during these challenging times. It is important for eligible businesses to take advantage of this program and consult with their tax advisor or accountant for guidance on how to maximize their benefits.

By following the guidelines outlined in this guide on how to apply for and get the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) for small businesses, eligible employers can receive the necessary financial support to navigate the pandemic and emerge stronger in the future.

Additionals:

Abdul Aziz Mondol is a professional blogger who is having a colossal interest in writing blogs and other jones of calligraphies. In terms of his professional commitments, he loves to share content related to business, finance, technology, and the gaming niche.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

Workforce Management

Save Time with Workforce Management for Staff Rostering.

As a manager or HR professional, you know how challenging it can be to roster and schedule staff across different locations and groups. Creating shift patterns shifts, like ad-hoc and both availability as well as non-availability shifts for your employees, can take up a lot of time and resources. However, with the help of workforce management solutions, you can streamline this process and save yourself a lot of hassle. In this informative guide, we'll explore the various factors you need to consider while rostering, as well as scheduling staff and how a workforce management solution can be considered a big help. Considerations To Be Made While Optimizing Electronic Rostering Type of shifts One of the initial things you should consider when using Electronic Rostering is the kind of shift pattern one desires to use. Do you wish your staff to operate for regular hours, or are you a fan of a cyclical pattern? After deciding your desired shift pattern, start working on rostering your employees. This includes assigning particular shifts to every team member. As a leader, you might also optimize the workforce management solution for scheduling holiday periods and breaks. With a solution as efficient as workforce management, you will be able to easily manage these changes, as the software provides real-time updates to everyone's schedule. Determining the location and group strength Another factor to consider when rostering along with scheduling staff is the group size and location. For example, if your business operates across multiple locations, you need to make sure that each location has the right number of staff scheduled to work. You also need to factor in availability-non-availability shifts, which means taking into account staff leave, sick days, and other absences. Workforce management infrastructures like the rostering module by Nextra provide a great way to create availability, shifts, along with non-availability for employees at various designated locations and groups. Perks Of Working With A Workforce Management Solution Offers the flexibility to make swift changes One of the various advantages of applying this solution is the ability to make changes quickly. Rather than making changes manually or contacting each employee individually, you can use the software to update staff schedules in real time. This means that if someone is sick or needs to take an unexpected day off, you can quickly adjust their schedule and ensure that there are still enough staff available to cover their shift. This not only saves you time but also reduces the likelihood of errors and ensures that your business runs smoothly. Related: Corporate Hackathon: Benefits To The Employees Tracks employee attendance efficiently Another advantage of using a workforce management solution is that you can track and monitor employee time and attendance. This includes employee work hours, breaks, overtime, and other important data. With this information, you can analyze employee performance, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions. Also, with the integration of payroll systems, timesheets, and other financial systems, managers can easily process payroll as well as other related financial functions. Conclusion Rostering and assigning work to staff can be a challenging task for any manager or HR professional. However, with the help of such solutions, you can streamline this process and save time. By optimizing a workforce management solution, it is very easy to create shift patterns, manage availability as well as non-availability shifts, track employee time and attendance, and quickly manage changes.  Nextra's efficient rostering module provides an efficient, easy-to-use solution for rostering your staff and scheduling work, allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your business. With workforce management and efficiency solutions, you can ensure that your business runs smoothly and that your staff is happy and productive. Read Also: Commonly Misunderstood Facts About The Employee Retention Tax Credit The Role of Communication in Employee Retainment How to Keep Remote Employees Productive in 2022

READ MOREDetails
how to start a food truck

How To Start A Food Truck Business And Earn Money From It In 2024

Are you bored of your normal life? Why not spice things up a little? If you are someone who is intimately interested in the culinary world or is a budding food professional, 2024 might be the year for you!  With the advent of uprising food businesses, there is increasing popularity for food trucks. Learning how to start a food truck business might be a very prosperous option for you this year. The food business is one of the largest growing sectors in the world.  People try to establish several kinds of outlets of food and beverage here and there in expectation of earning huge revenue. However, there are many who will not be able to afford beginning with a properly laid out and structured establishment. This is mainly due to the strain on the budget and obviously finding such a place.  What Is A Food Truck? I am sure since you have a keen love for food, you must have seen food trucks in your city. It is basically a big truck-like vehicle equipped with a kitchen to prepare and serve food. Being a Western concept, these food trucks are often found stationed outside malls and offices.  This mobile eatery also functions by driving around through the city and parking in different areas to serve a crowd of hungry customers. In today’s world, people are always in a hurry and prefer convenient food. Thus learning how to start a food truck with an innovative plan and some balanced capital will put you way ahead in the curve.  Important Factors Required For Knowing How To Start A Food Truck Business Although how much ever-interesting a food truck business might sound, setting up one isn’t very easy. You need to take your time and gather up severe knowledge about the industry. A man cannot succeed without facing obstacles in life and it is no different for you.  You will have to face a lot of issues, go through struggles to finally establish your empire. But when you stand strong, facing all difficulties, and working hard, you will definitely find your way to enlightenment.  1. Business Plan Before you decide to earn some fortune in this sector, it is very important to prepare a strategic plan to take your business to the peak. You must dedicate most of your time researching and learning about each and every aspect of the industry.  All of this knowledge must be injected into your business plan. You must always think about new and innovative concepts to get more and more customers and eventually maximize profit.  2. Capital Investment This is a very important factor one must keep in mind for knowing how to start a food truck business. You must set a budgetary plan in your mind and then spend accordingly.  At the initial stage, you will have to make some basic capital investment on buying the vehicle, setting up the kitchen, and buying equipment. Other investments include costs of truck setup, advertising, printing menus, and other daily operational expenses. 3. Purchasing Vehicle Buying a new truck can prove to be costly. As regulated by health departments, food trucks must be fitted with special equipment for carrying out their operations. Thus, if you want to keep a balanced budget, you can try looking for second-hand vehicles that might save a lot on your pocket.  For those who can afford, these days, pre-constructed food trucks are also found in the market. It can save you all the time and energy required for setting up a kitchen inside the truck. You can choose a larger or smaller truck depending upon what your plan is and how you want to implement it.  4. Menu Planning In the process of knowing how to start a food truck business, menu planning plays the most important role. If you have no idea about food, there is no point setting your foot in this business. Starting a food truck business indulging yourself in it is much more effective than putting all the responsibility on hired staff. Even some renowned chefs of the world take part in such activities.  Having in-depth knowledge about food, you need to plan an interesting menu that can gain the customer’s attention. From tacos, burgers, and wraps to noodles, pizzas, and exotic dishes from around the world, anything can be served by your food truck.  5. Acquiring License And Insurance Comparably, this is the most difficult part of the process. Even if you are all set with getting your truck on the road, it would not be possible for you to run such a business without acquiring licenses. You must consider all the rules and regulations that must be in accordance with the operations of your food truck business. Truck permits, health department certificates, alcohol licenses, and parking restrictions are some of the very basic necessities.  When taking part in such a business, a very important thing that you must do is contacting an insurance agent. With the help of a good insurance firm, you can get everything covered, beginning from your vehicle insurance to all other factors that might be a possible risk.  6. Analyze The Market Once you learn the basics of how to start a food truck business, you must make sure to get knowledge about the market. The market scene is one of the most important factors that will determine your results.  When you set up your truck in a particular area, you must find out information about your competitors, learn about the type of customers present in that area, their preferences, and even the trends of the market. Having a sound knowledge about these factors will give you an edge over your competitors and will help you run the business smoothly. How To Create A Food Truck Business Plan? Every food truck owner should make and maintain a business plan. This should be the first concrete step you must take when starting a food truck business. Below, I will discuss how to create a food truck business plan. 1) An Executive Summary After all, an executive summary is a remarkable introduction to your enterprise. This should give you a brief overview of every business plan. This executive summary should also be as concise as the details. This will be discussed in several other sections of the entire plan. 2) Market Analysis Market Analysis is another remarkable part of creating a food truck business plan. In this way, you can know the target customers' requirements. Even more, you can earn significant things such as attracting your customers. In addition, this part should also explain how your business will affect the current market value. This is also significant in highlighting direct and indirect competition. 3) Organization and Management Another thing that you must have required is to create a food truck business to organize every document of a trade. These are legal documents, business finance documents, insurance, etc. Here, you must create a long list of such owners and their percentage of ownership.    4) Company Description A company description is an essential part of starting a food truck business. It would help if you described who you are and what will define you as an enterprise owner. Furthermore, it would help if you told us the niche you are filling and why your customers will choose to go over the competition.    5) Marketing and Sales If you want to expand on your marketing strategies, marketing, and sales are other significant factors. You must explain how you plan to spread the word about your trade here. Furthermore, you must identify every marketing platform, such as social media, a website, or a paid advertisement. You can also plan for this and how to gain an edge over the competition.    6) Funding Request After all, funding requests are a required section, especially for food truck entrepreneurs. This applies especially to those seeking investment funds or several other types of outside funding. You must specify how much money you are asking for and how you would describe it.    The Advantages Of The Food Truck Business: There are several advantages of the food truck business. Do you know what they are? Below, I will discuss the benefits of the food truck business.    Business Ownership There are numerous tax advantages of business ownership. Running any business takes time to own or even run. But at least there is some relief on the tax front.    Freedom While choosing menu items, the vendors you like to leverage, your workers, and the events are just some of the freedoms. This happens if you are enjoying the food truck business as an owner. You could also control your social media and marketing platforms, schedule, and ruling.    Virtual Kitchen It is sometimes hard to bring revenue from a physical business. That is why people have recently become concerned about running a physical store after researching that virtual kitchens need more proximity based on the large numbers of customers and how a virtual kitchen is still more significant in generating revenue and profits than a physical business.   Final Thoughts The food market has witnessed an unimaginable transition in the recent few years. In such an era, knowing how to start a food truck business will prove to be an asset for you in the foreseeable future. Being behind the range will also improve your culinary skills. You can then serve the most delicious food in the entire city.  Once your wheels are on the go, start considering expanding your business to the next level. Merchandising and advertising on social media can be some good ideas that you can acquire. There you go; you have it all now. Well, I can see you as one of the upcoming most prominent business tycoons of the world! I hope you find this article. In case you have doubts then please comment below! More Resources: Launching a Business? Hire These 5 Professional Services for Help Top 5 Mistakes B2B Businesses Should Stop Making Right Away Basic Small Business Tips for Noobs Who Want to Start a Venture in 2020

READ MOREDetails
Lifting Gantry

Choosing The Best Lifting Gantry For Your Factory Needs

If you are working in a factory or the construction business, having the proper equipment is key to the efficiency of the business and the safety of your employees. Not only will having the right lifting equipment help you with the speed of your daily tasks, but it will help keep yourself and your workers safe. Just think about it - if you are taking your workers lifting heavy objects repeatedly, there is a higher chance of injury to their muscles, repetitive joint injuries, accident possibilities, and physical stress. Not to mention, some loads are just too heavy for workers to carry and lift off of the ground - if you find that you are having trouble completing your daily tasks in a factory due to the inability to lift heavy items, then you might find it beneficial to use a lifting gantry. But how can you choose the best lifting gantry for factories? What is the best lifting gantry to lift heavy objects from your factory? By understanding the different types of lifting gantries, how you can choose the best one, and the different characteristics of lifting gantries, you can choose the top option for your factory. Let's see more information about what a lifting gantry is, why you need one, and how to choose! Need help with your factory? Use a lifting gantry to lift heavy objects! If you are new to the factory or construction world, then finding out how to choose the best lifting gantry is key to being able to safely and effectively complete your daily factory tasks. Portable lifting gantry (adjustable) - If you need to move the lifting gantry between various spots in your factory, using an adjustable lifting gantry is an absolute must! If you are using your portable lifting gantry in a workshop, factory, or business and you frequently need to lift heavy objects in multiple places, then using the adjustable lifting gantry is a must. Use the adjustable lifting gantry to change the height so you can accommodate various shapes and weights of objects! Adjustable lifting gantry with a thicker beam - If you are looking to lift heavier objects and need a less portable lifting gantry, using one that has a thicker middle beam is a must to lift weights that are between 120kg and 175kg. Using the stronger aluminum lifting gantry is the best way that you can avoid using multiple workers in your business to lift excessively heavy objects. External trolley - Another way that you can choose the lifting gantry for your needs is to be able to accessorize and customize the gantry. For some factories, you might need to use an external trolley to work in tandem with your aluminum lifting gantry to add extra versatility, movability, and transportability. Parking jacks - Another accessory that you can use with your lifting gantry is parking jacks - these stabilizers are ideal for helping keep your loads steady and avoid any mishaps. Bigger gantry cranes Another option you can consider using for your factory is a bigger gantry crane. Although these are typically used in a shipyard and outdoor spaces, if you have a big factory you can use the oversized gantry cranes to lift heavy and unwieldy objects, like big shipping containers and multi-ton objects. Full gantry crane - If you need to use a gantry crane to lift extremely heavy objects, consider using a full gantry crane to lift ships, big pieces of equipment, and heavy objects that cannot be moved with portable lifting gantries. Some of the biggest gantry cranes are as long as 140 meters! Rubber tired gantry crane - Smaller gantry cranes are another option for smaller factories that still need to lift heavy objects in outdoor spaces, such as containers and big pieces of equipment. Typically, you'll find that small rubber tire gantry cranes are straddle cranes that can effectively lift containers with ease. Portable gantry crane - As we mentioned before, portable gantry cranes are usually the best idea for those who are running factories. These portable gantry cranes are used to move small items that are usually less than 10 tons in weight. Used frequently in the construction and machinery businesses, you will find that using a portable gantry crane is the best way that you can lift heavy objects with the added versatility of being portable and customizable Benefits of lifting gantry So why should you use a lifting gantry crane for your business? There are many reasons why it will help your effectiveness, flexibility, and safety in the workplace. Mobility - Lifting gantries are more movable and contain more flexibility than other options. Instead of being stuck in one place where you cannot move the loads, or being tied down in one location, the flexible moving gantry lets you wheel the apparatus around your factory. This way, you can lift various objects between locations without having to worry about the safety of your workers or other equipment Capacity - The majority of mobile lifting gantries are very sturdy and durable. Typically, you will find that the lifting gantry options that are used for factories can lift up to 5 tons with ease. If you need stronger lifting gantries for your factory, consider using a full gantry crane for your outdoor spaces. Custom height and accessories - The last reason that you should consider using a lifting gantry for your factory is that you can customize the height of the gantry to work with various shapes of boats that you are lifting. Not to mention, you can add accessories to make your lifting gantry more versatile, easier to maneuver, and more stable. Conclusion Are you working in the faucet or construction industry? If so, using a construction lifting gantry crane is ideal to be able to lift heavy loads, keep your workers safe, and increase the flexibility of your workplace. By having portable lifting gantries, you can lift heavy objects between locations in your factory without worrying about the safety and health of your employees - not to mention, you will increase the efficiency and productivity of your workplace! Read Also: How To Operate A High Lift Jack Safely And Effectively All You Must Know About Construction Business Management Software 5 Ways Construction Businesses Can Gain New Clients Having Business in Foreigner Country, Advantages and Disadvantages Commercial Construction After COVID-19: How Developers Can Adapt

READ MOREDetails