For 2021, the employee retention credit (ERC) is a quarterly tax credit against the employer's share of certain payroll taxes. The tax credit is 70% of the first $10,000 in wages per employee in each quarter of 2021. That means this credit is worth up to $7,000 per quarter and up to $28,000 per year, for each employee.
Going forward, the only way to apply for the ERC is to file an amended Form 941X (Quarterly Federal Payroll Tax Return) for the quarters during which the company was an eligible employer.
Amount per quarter: Each employee has $10,000 in qualifying wages per quarter, and 70% of this amount is $7,000 per quarter. Amount per employee: Since Company A is eligible for the ERC for all the available quarters, each employee's quarterly credit is multiplied by 3, which equals $21,000 per employee for the year.
In addition to claiming tax credits for 2020, small businesses should consider their eligibility for the ERC in 2021. The ERC is now available for all four quarters of 2021, up to $7,000 per quarter.
Credit amount The total ERC benefit per employee can be up to $26,000 ($5,000 in 2020 and $7,000 per quarter in 2021).
Because the ERC is considered an income-related grant under IAS 20, an entity may elect to present the income in one of two ways: (1) gross as a grant or other income item, or (2) net as a deduction from the expense category in which the reporting entity reports employment taxes (typically employee compensation).
IAS 20 lets you record the ERC on the income statement in two ways. You can show it as a separate credit, such as other income, or by netting it against the related payroll costs. In the latter case, you should include a disclosure explaining the presentation.
On Form 1120S, businesses can report the ERC by including it as a credit on Line 13f (“Credits”) of Schedule K, Form 1120S. Ensure accurate documentation of qualified wages and related expenses to support the credit claim.
In financial economics, finance, and accounting, the earnings response coefficient, or ERC, is the estimated relationship between equity returns and the unexpected portion of (i.e., new information in) companies' earnings announcements.