BizTech Law Blog

For more articles from the June 2020 issue of Business & Tax Law News, click here.

The CARES Act created the Employee Retention Tax Credit (“ERTC”), which is designed to provide financial relief to employers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERTC is a refundable tax credit that is credited against an employer’s share of social security taxes for specific wages paid on or after March 12, 2020 and before January 1, 2021. An eligible employer can access ERTC funds by (1) immediately reducing employment tax obligations, (2) applying for an advance payment of the estimated credit, or (3) calculating the final credit amount at the end of the applicable calendar quarter, usually on Form 941.  Importantly, an employer that has received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan cannot also claim the ERTC (unless the employer has repaid its PPP loan by May 14, 2020).