Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

10. Income Taxes

Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recognized based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities using statutory rates. A valuation allowance is recorded against deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the realization of the favorable tax attributes in future tax returns, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against the Company’s otherwise recognizable net deferred tax assets.

On March 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). The Cares Act includes provisions relating to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of the employer portion of certain payroll taxes, net operating loss carryback periods, alternative minimum tax credit refunds, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations and technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property. The CARES Act also established a Paycheck Protection Program whereby certain small businesses are eligible for a loan to fund payroll expenses, rent, and related costs.

The CARES Act provided for an Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”), which is a refundable payroll tax credit that encouraged businesses to keep employees on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Eligible employers are entitled to a refundable tax credit equal to 50% of qualified wages paid to employees between March 13, 2020, and December 31, 2020, up to a maximum of $5,000 credit per employee. In late December 2020 Congress expanded and amended the CARES Act by enacting Public Law 116-260. Per the amendment to the CARES Act, eligible employers are entitled to a refundable tax credit equal to 70% of the qualified wages paid to employees between January 1, 2021, and June 30, 2021, up to a maximum of $10,000 of wages per employee per quarter, with a maximum of $7,000 per employee per calendar quarter. Congress further extended the credit with the American Rescue Plan signed into law on March 11, 2021; the American Rescue Plan extended the credit for the period July 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 with the same limitations as the prior amendment (i.e., tax credit equal to 70% of qualified wages up to a maximum of $10,000 of wages per employee per quarter). However, on November 15, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which redacted the credit for calendar quarter 4 of 2021. Qualified Wages must be paid on or after March 13, 2020 and before October 1, 2021, and may include wages paid to employees, as well as so much of the employer’s qualified health plan expenses as are properly allocable to such wages, not to exceed $10,000 per employee for calendar year 2020 or $10,000 per employee per calendar quarter in quarter 1, 2, or 3 of 2021 (“2021 Eligible Quarter”). The Retention Credit may be claimed for up to $5,000 per employee for calendar year 2020 (i.e., 50% of the $10,000 maximum in Qualified Wages for calendar year 2020) or $7,000 per employee per 2021 Eligible Quarter (i.e., 70% of the $10,000 maximum in Qualified Wages per 2021 Eligible Quarter). Therefore, the maximum Retention Credit per employee in 2020 is $5,000 and in 2021 is $21,000. Based on the Company’s evaluation of this provision and pandemic-related impact on its operations in 2020 and 2021, it was determined that the Company qualified to claim ERC in the second, third and fourth calendar quarters of 2020, as well as in both the first, second, and third calendar quarters of 2021. The Company recognized an ERC of approximately $1.0 million as an offset to payroll tax expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company did not recognize an ERC for the three months ended March 31, 2022.