The ERC has gone through significant updates, so even if you or your tax advisor have reviewed this credit before, we encourage you to take another look with one of our specialists. Unfortunately, the program is not yet living up to its full potential because many business owners are prematurely disqualifying themselves due to misinformation and rumors about who does or doesn’t qualify.

The overarching theme for businesses to focus on is how the coronavirus pandemic impacted our economy as a whole… so even if your business grew or was deemed an essential business during the pandemic, there are more qualifying factors to look at before you disqualify yourself.

This payroll tax credit is available to essential and non-essential businesses in any industry that endured the effects of the pandemic. Government orders—on federal, state, and local levels—are a major factor that many business owners had to adapt to over the last year and a half. Examples of affected businesses include a restaurant that could not let customers dine indoors or a manufacturer that had to slow their operations due to new health and safety restrictions.

Here are some impacts to consider that help you determine your business’s eligibility for the ERC:

• Full shutdowns;
• Partial shutdowns;
• Interrupted operations;
• Supply chain interruptions;
• Inability to access equipment;
• Limited capacity to operate;
• Inability to work with your vendors;
• Reduction in services or goods offered to your customers;
• Cut down on your hours of operation; and
• Shifting hours to increase sanitation of your facility