Employee Retention Tax Credit

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Retention Tax Credit

Employee Retention Tax Credit

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law, providing numerous tax provisions and other stimulus measures, including the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC): a refundable tax credit against certain employment taxes for qualifying businesses keeping employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERTC was subsequently amended by the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, all of which amended and extended the ERTC availability and guidelines under the CARES Act. During the third quarter of 2022, the Company evaluated its eligibility for the ERTC and is eligible to claim a refundable tax credit against the employer share of Social Security taxes equal to fifty percent (50%) of the qualified wages paid to employees between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and seventy percent (70%) of the qualified wages paid to employees between January 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021. For fiscal year 2020, qualified wages are limited to $10,000 annually per employee for a maximum allowable ERTC per employee of $5,000 annually and qualified wages are limited to $10,000 per calendar quarter in 2021 for a maximum allowable ERTC per employee of $7,000 for each calendar quarter in 2021.

The Company determined that it qualified for the ERTC in the last three quarters of 2020 and all three quarters of 2021 and filed a claim for the credit in August 2022. During the quarter ended September 30, 2022, the Company recorded an aggregate benefit of approximately $2.1 million in Other income, net - Employee Retention Tax Credit in its Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations to reflect the ERTC for all eligible quarters.

During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company received $0.6 million related to the ERTC. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company received another $0.9 million related to the ERTC. As of September 30, 2023, the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets include an ERTC benefit of $0.9 million and associated commissions payable of $0.1 million recorded within prepaid expenses and other current assets and accrued expenses, respectively.

On September 14, 2023, the IRS announced an immediate halt in processing new claims for the employee retention credit until at least the end of the year, citing ongoing concerns about improper claims. The IRS guaranteed ongoing processing of existing claims, albeit at a reduced pace and with increased compliance scrutiny. To date, the Company has not received communications from the IRS regarding the Company’s existing claims. Nevertheless, the Company is diligently monitoring the situation to ensure continued compliance.