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Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Service

The Paychex ERTC Service can help businesses of any size claim the employee retention tax credit retroactively if qualified wages were paid to eligible employees after March 12, 2020, with certain factors impacting eligibility.

If you are a new client (after the 2021 tax year), you may still submit the necessary materials to us so we can help determine your eligibility to claim the tax credit. However, there currently is a proposed tax bill that includes ending the ERTC and establishing a retroactive cutoff date of Jan.31, 2024, for new ERTC claims.

How the ERTC Service Works for You

Secure an infusion of funding into your business with the employee retention tax credit, plus with the Paychex ERTC Service, your business receives:

  • A specially trained ERTC expert to review eligible wages and forecast possible credit
  • A report providing full documentation of all calculations
  • Preparation and filing of the respective amended returns
ERTC Getting the Help You Deserve
ERTC Service
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Benefits of the Paychex ERTC Service

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Current Customer

Checking on Eligibility Is Easy

We offer a risk-free questionnaire to help you determine your eligibility for claiming the ERTC for qualified wages. There is a fee for the ERTC Service only when credits can be claimed.

If you are a current client, you have until Feb. 29, 2024, to submit the necessary materials to us, so we can meet the IRS filing deadline. This could change if a proposed tax bill ends ERTC retroactive to Jan. 31, 2024.

Get Started

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Not a Customer

It's Not Too Late to Apply

If you didn’t process payroll with us in 2021, we can still help non-PEO customers with the ERTC.

Switch to us, and we’ll provide a questionnaire to help you determine your eligibility. There is a set-up fee if eligible, plus a charge for the service if credits are identified.

Contact Us Today

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Former Customer

We Can Still Help Your Business

Did you process payroll with us in 2020 or 2021? We have your wage data and can help you apply for the ERTC.

We provide non-PEO customers with a questionnaire to assist you in identifying your eligibility. There is a fee for our service only if credits can be claimed, and you won’t be charged if ineligible.

Let's Talk

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Satisfied Clients Praise ERTC Service: Easy Process, Positive Outcomes

From a family-owned restaurant to a insurance agency to a national franchise and every size business in between, clients of the Paychex ERTC Service have smiles on their faces. These businesses survived the financial challenges of the pandemic by keeping their employees on payroll and when the employers themselves needed help, Paychex stepped in with the expertise businesses have come to expect.  

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Paychex ERTC Service

"Paychex stays on top of things and advocates for me, the client, in a way that allowed me to realize I had the ability to access those (ERTC) funds."

— Alan Schneider
President
Sweetwater Car Wash

ERTC By the Numbers

$178,000

Paychex customers, including those using our ERTC Service, on average, have qualified for this amount in credit.

More than 76,400

The number of Paychex customers who have received credit.

$5,000/$7,000

In 2020, an eligible business could claim up to $5,000 per employee annually for ERTC. In 2021, businesses could claim up to $7,000 per employee per quarter.

Excellence in Technology Award

The Brandon Hall Group awarded Paychex a gold medal for Excellence in Technology in 2021 for our Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) service. This technology resource empowered thousands of business owners to claim retroactive tax credits for qualified wages and health plan expenses paid on behalf of employees in 2020 and 2021. Our Paychex ERTC service was honored for "best advance in HR or workforce management technology for small and medium-sized businesses."

Excellence in Technology Awards

Employee Retention Tax Credit FAQ

  • How Does the ERTC Work?

    How Does the ERTC Work?

    The employee retention tax credit is a percentage of qualified wages paid to an employee. Several laws have changed the percentage based on which quarter the a business claims the credit. This fully refundable credit is applied to the portion of payroll taxes a business pays. Read our ERTC article in the Paychex Knowledge Center.

  • How Is the ERTC Calculated?

    How Is the ERTC Calculated?

    Wages or compensation subject to FICA taxes and qualified health expenses qualify when calculating the employee retention credit. These must have been paid after March 12, 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021 (Recovery Startup Businesses  have until Dec. 31, 2021). Note: The credit can only be taken on wages that are not forgiven or expected to be forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program.

  • Does the Employee Retention Credit Have To Be Paid Back?

    Does the Employee Retention Credit Have To Be Paid Back?

    No. It is a refundable credit based on payroll taxes already paid by an employer.  

  • Who Is Eligible for the Employee Retention Credit?

    Who Is Eligible for the Employee Retention Credit?

    Businesses that had operations partially or fully suspended under government orders due to COVID-19 and experienced a decline in percentage of gross receipts as compared to the same quarter the previous year (e.g, 2020 to 2019 or 2021 to 2020) qualify for the ERTC.

  • How Does My Business Claim ERTC?

    How Does My Business Claim ERTC?

    Businesses should consult with their accounting professional or a payroll provider such as Paychex, which provides an ERTC Service to help retroactively identify and claim the credit by filing an amended Form 941. 

  • Can I Still Apply for the ERTC?

    Can I Still Apply for the ERTC?

    Yes. The deadline to have amended tax forms submitted to the the IRS to claim any credit for Tax Year 2020 is April 15, 2024. The submission deadline for Tax Year 2021 is April 15, 2025. However, proposed legislation might end the ERTC and make the cutoff date for any new submissions Jan. 31, 2024.

  • When Will My Claim Be Processed by the IRS?

    When Will My Claim Be Processed by the IRS?

    The IRS announced that any claims filed on Sept. 14, 2023, and after that date will not be processed until at least early 2024. Any existing claims received prior to that date will continue to be processed, but at a slower rate.

Interested in Help with Other Tax Services?

Businesses leave billions of dollars in tax credits on the table every year. Paychex makes it simple by saving you time, identifying available tax credits and helping you claim them.