Find out if you’re eligible with our ERC application.

The ERC is meant to refund businesses who kept employees on during the pandemic. Find out if you qualify by answering some quick questions and apply with no up-front cost.


Applying is free and won’t impact your credit.

You may qualify for the ERC if:

Paid W2 employees

You paid full or part-time wages for W-2 employees (not family members or owners) during 2020/21.

Decreased revenue*

AND… Either your gross quarterly receipts dropped in 2020 or 2021 when compared to the same quarter in 2019…

Suspended operations

OR… A government mandate prevented operations, either in hours or service capacity.

* “Reduced revenue” varies by condition and quarter; contact Lendio, an ERC tax professional, or the IRS for details.

You’re in safe hands.

Lendio has been helping small businesses access essential funds since 2011. We’ve helped small businesses claim billions of dollars in federal relief funds. We stand by our work and will be by your side through the application process and beyond.

Streamline results.

Truth is, the ERC qualification process is complicated, detailed in over 170 pages of IRS documentation. Our application and verification methods are designed to take as much stress off of you as possible, so you can leave the hard stuff to us.

Remove guesswork.

Lendio partners with a team of CPAs and attorneys with ERC expertise to verify your documentation, double-check every application, and cross-reference with local and federal government orders so you can be confident that you’re getting the most out of your tax credit.

How to apply for the Employee Retention Credit.

STEP
1
Fill out the online application to see if you qualify.

Most businesses with qualified wages through 2020/21 are eligible to start their ERC application.

STEP
2
File.

We’ve partnered with ERC experts to ensure you get the tax credits that are rightfully yours They’ll help you navigate tax law. We’ll make sure your application process is stress-free–usually filed within 25 days.

STEP
3
Collect.

The IRS processes your ERC application, then issues your credits (usually within 2-8 months). Along with our partners, we’ve already helped clients process over $23 million!

Apply Now

Why use Lendio?

$300M

in ERC credits processed

5000

claims filed

$9B

in total CARES Act funding

Additional information

Answers to Employee Retention Credit FAQs.

Get answers to all of your burning questions about the ERC from general information and qualification criteria to other tax and logistics information.

Navigating the ERC shutdown test.

In order to maximize your credit for both 2020 and 2021, it’s important to fully understand (and document) your company’s eligibility based on the ERC shutdown test. Here’s everything you need to know in order to qualify.

How the ERC could be worth thousands for your business.

In this episode, Skylar Swallow of Lendio, discusses how fintech companies are expanding their services to help small business owners qualify for additional capital through the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC).

FAQs

After you complete your ERC application with the Lendio Team, our ERC expert partners have our full confidence. Expect to hear from them as they guide you through the next steps of the process, including:

  • Gathering required documentation. (No guesswork)
  • Identifying all opportunities to maximize the credit. (Expertise counts)
  • Preparing & filing required tax forms on your behalf. (Make it easy)
  • Keeping you updated after your ERC application is complete. (Don’t miss a thing)

  

It’s great news for businesses. The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a fully refundable payroll tax credit — essentially a reimbursement for a portion of payroll taxes. 

Unlike a deductible, which decreases a business’ taxable income, a credit reduces the amount of total tax owed to the IRS. If qualified, you may receive total tax credits from the IRS for up to $26,000 per employee. What’s more, it’s also possible to receive a cash payment from the IRS in surplus of what you paid in payroll taxes.

Your ERC application is an opportunity to take advantage of every dollar you paid in payroll in 2020 and 2021—and a big shout-out to you for employing people during the pandemic!

ERC applications were first accepted in early March 2020 with the CARES act. At the time, businesses couldn’t elect to participate in both the PPP loan and ERC program. As of March 2021, it’s now possible to take advantage of both, if managed correctly. 

Good news is, you still have time! To claim your ERC money, because it’s a payroll tax credit, you must amend your previously filed 941’s. Generally, you can amend a 941 form for up to three years from the time you originally filed.

It’s best not to wait—or guess. Start your ERC application with the experts now.

  1. 2020: Up to $5,000 per W-2 employee. SMB’s are eligible to receive up to 50% of “qualified wages” (up to $10,000 per employee) paid out from March 13, 2020 through the end of 2020. 
  1. 2021: Up to $21,000 in credits per W-2 employee. The government loosened things up for 2021 and increased the credit to 70% of “qualified wages”—up to $10,000 per employee, this time per quarter. (Q1-3)

Note: Different rules apply if you qualify for “Recovery Startup” Tax Credit, if your business start date is after Feb 15, 2020 with less than $1 million in gross receipts. Must have paid W-2 employees.

In total, you could potentially receive up to $26,000 in tax credits per W-2 employee payroll tax filings throughout all of 2020 and three quarters of 2021. 

There are no upfront charges or fees to determine your ERC eligibility, and you will never pay out-of-pocket. Once your credit is successfully processed with the IRS, our fee is lower than the competition at 20%. We only get paid if you get paid and there are no other hidden fees or obligations.

To apply for the ERC, you will need to file an amended payroll tax return for each qualifying quarter using IRS form 941-X.

To calculate the correct credit amount for your company, you will need the following documentation:

  • Payroll reports
  • Gross receipts showing revenue collected by quarter for 2020 and 2021
  • Government order information with details on the impact of the government order on your business
  • Documentation for other grants, credits, or PPP loans that you received
  • Quarterly payroll tax filings

Lendio’s tax experts will help you format and document this information correctly as part of the application process.

The ERC is a refundable tax credit. It is similar to a grant since businesses do not have to repay the money they receive.

The ERC is a refundable tax credit, not a loan. Qualifying businesses can apply for the tax credit to receive a refund on their payroll taxes. The money does not need to be repaid.

See if you qualify for the ERC.

Lendio’s simplified ERC application is designed to simplify the process at every step.