The IRS announced substantial progress in the ongoing effort related to the dubious Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims. The IRS successfully cleared the backlog of valid ERCs. The period of eligibility for the credit for affected businesses is very limited, covering only between March 13, 2020, and December. 31, 2021. Under the current law, businesses can typically continue to file claims for the credit until April 15, 2025.

“The further we get from the pandemic, we believe the percentage of legitimate claims coming in is declining,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told attendees at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in Atlanta. “Instead, we continue to see more and more questionable claims coming in following the onslaught of misleading marketing from promoters pushing businesses to apply. To address this, the IRS continues to intensify our compliance work in this area,” he added.

Taxpayers should be wary of certain signs including (1) unsolicited calls or advertisements mentioning an easy application process; (2) statements that the promoter or company can determine ERC eligibility within minutes; and (3) large upfront fees to claim the credit. Eligible employers who need help claiming the credit should work with a trusted tax professional. Finally, taxpayers can report ERC abuse by submitting Form 14242, Report Suspected Abusive Tax Promotions or Preparers and any supporting materials to the IRS Lead Development Center in the Office of Promoter Investigations.