CARES Act and ERTCs: What the Tax Credit is and Why Banks May Miss Out

The CARES Act, passed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided small businesses (businesses with under 500 employees) with various types of financial aid, including the Employee Retention Tax Credit program (ERTC).  ERTCs can provide a tax credit of up to $26,000 per employee for eligible businesses.  While there are over 4,000 financial institutions in the U.S. that have under 500 employees that may be eligible for ERTCs, many are not aware of the program or its eligibility requirements and, accordingly, have not assessed eligibility to decide whether to take advantage of this credit.  In this 50-minute session, we will provide an overview of the ERTC program and discuss how and why financial institutions that have under 500 employees should assess eligibility and consider whether to file for ERTCs.

Agenda

• What is the ERTC?
• What is the amount of the credit and how is it calculated?
• What businesses are eligible for ERTCs?
• How is eligibility determined?
• How is a reduction in revenue determined?
• What does it mean to have a partial shutdown and how is that determined?
• What were some common modifications to operations that financial institutions made as a result of government orders?
• How do you determine whether the modifications had more than a nominal effect?
• What is the process for filing?
• What other things should be considered when determining whether to file?