The Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) passed in 2020 contains a series of regulations designed to help individuals and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these regulations is a requirement that certain employers provide paid emergency sick leave and family leave for employees who need to rest in order to recover or take care of sick family members.

Although employers can continue to provide paid time off voluntarily, the task period for employers to provide up to 80 hours of emergency paid leave ends in December 2020. To protect employers, FFCRA also provides tax credits. These credits initially lasted until March 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) further expands the scope of the FFCRA tax credit. Employers need to know the following information about FFCRA tax credits and new tax credit deadlines.

---

---

How does the FFCRA tax credit work?

Unlike other Tax credits or deductionsWithout waiting Submit your annual tax return, And you won’t even be able to apply for the FFCRA credit line that your small business is eligible to use until the end of the quarter.

Qualified employers can apply for credits as long as they have paid qualified wages. They can do this by keeping federal income tax and Social Security/Medicare tax amounts equal to the claim amount, instead of depositing the entire payroll tax amount with the IRS.If the payroll tax amount is not sufficient to cover the full credit required, the employer can submit Form 7200 The Internal Revenue Service requires payment of an additional credit line.

Which employers are eligible for FFCRA tax credits?

Employers of any size can provide their employees with paid time off related to COVID. However, only US or US private employers (including tax-exempt businesses) (including family employers and tribal governments) with fewer than 500 employees are considered covered employers. In addition, the covered employer must have paid qualified sick pay or qualified family leave pay in accordance with FFCRA or ARPA in order to be eligible.

How to calculate the FFCRA tax credit?

FFCRA and ARPA tax credits are not unlimited. The paid sick leave credit is based on the employee’s normal salary, and is capped at 100% of the eligible salary provided between April 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021, up to a maximum of US$511 per day. “Qualified salary” includes the distributable cost of the qualified health plan and the employee’s medical insurance tax.

Insured employers who voluntarily provide their workers with paid leave before March 31, 2021 are entitled to apply for tax credits under FFCRA. In addition, ARPA allows insured employers to receive an employee’s paid emergency sick leave tax credit for insured reasons, even in some or all cases, from April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021, for each employee Part of the credit required for a maximum of 10 days of leave is for employees who have previously used FFCRA paid leave, and the employer has already applied for a tax credit.

Employers can also enjoy tax credits for up to 12 weeks of paid family leave, up to a maximum of $12,000 per employee (up to two-thirds of the employee’s normal salary or a daily cap of $200).

According to ARPA, what are the eligible reasons for employees to take COVID-related paid leave?

According to ARPA, if an employer voluntarily provides an employee with paid vacation related to the coronavirus, the employee is eligible for paid vacation:

• Subject to isolation or self-isolation orders.
• It is recommended that medical providers conduct self-quarantine.
• Symptomatic COVID-19, seeking medical help.
• Take care of other people in isolation or self-isolation.
• Caring for children who have closed schools or daycare facilities due to COVID-19 or are unable to provide caregivers for other reasons.

The aforementioned reasons are also part of FFCRA. ARPA added some other possible reasons, which may be that employees can take paid vacation related to the coronavirus, including employees in the following situations:

• Get the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Recover from side effects related to the vaccine.
• Seek or wait for the results of the COVID-19 test at the request of the employer or because the employee may be exposed to the virus.

Don’t leave tax credits on the table

If you are eligible for tax credits for paid leave under FFCRA, or have decided to voluntarily extend paid leave under ARPA, make sure to claim the credits that your business is entitled to.Contained in the regulations Small business owners can get coronavirus-related assistance Even for the most savvy business owner, it can be complicated and subtle.Don’t be afraid to reach for it Rocket Lawyer on call_® lawyer Provide affordable legal advice and help when you need it!

This article contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Rocket Lawyer is not a law firm, nor is it a substitute for a lawyer or a law firm. The law is complex and changes frequently.Seek legal advice Ask a lawyer.