IRS claws back money given to businesses under fraud-ridden COVID-era tax credit program
The IRS says it’s making progress with initiatives to claw back money improperly distributed under the Employee Retention Credit
NEW YORK (AP) — The IRS says it's making progress with initiatives to claw back money improperly distributed under the Employee Retention Credit.
The ERC was designed to help businesses retain employees during pandemic-era shutdowns, but it quickly became a magnet for fraud. Its complex eligibility rules allowed scammers to target small businesses, offering help applying for the ERC for a fee — even if they didn't qualify.
The IRS said it received $225 million from a voluntary disclosure program, which ended on March 22, that let small businesses that thought they received the credit in error give back the money and keep 20%. That money came from over 500 taxpayers with another 800 submissions still being processed.
An ongoing program that lets small businesses withdraw unprocessed claims has led to 1,800 businesses withdrawing $251 million worth of claims. And finally, the IRS has assessed $572 million in audits of more than 12,000 businesses that filed over 22,000 improper claims.
