What is Causing ERC Payment Delays Update for 2023

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is having trouble handling the influx of refund requests related to employee retention credit. ERC payment delays have become a problem. It could take months for a claim to be processed, and taxpayers have few options for checking on its progress. Good news is that many more IRS agents are being taken on and they are handling the situation.

What Is Causing ERC Payment Delays

When the COVID-19 epidemic hit, businesses struggled to pay their workers. The employee retention credit (ERC) was created to alleviate this problem. It has spawned numerous pieces of IRS guidance and has been amended by subsequent legislation. Lately, the program has been under scrutiny because of questions about the length of time it takes to process ERC reimbursements. Your ERC payment might take an abnormally long time to arrive at your mailbox if you filed a claim for it recently.

The fact that the IRS hasn’t given company owners any indication of when they may expect to see their ERC payment processed and their check issued further adds to their frustration. There also seems to be no pattern to the timeliness with which different types of returns are handled. The IRS should not make business owners and their accountants wait on hold for excessive amounts of time. Worse, the IRS personnel is often unable to provide any substantive or useful information about the ERC payment delays. 

Where Can You Find Your Employee Retention Credit Status

To find out where your refund stands, call the IRS. After selecting your language preference, proceed to Option 3 to discuss Employment Tax. This means you’ll have to join the queue to see an IRS representative. There aren’t enough workers to answer everyone’s calls, so you might have to wait on hold for up to an hour. 

Tell the representative that you want to know if you have been approved for the Employee Retention Credit and if your amended returns have been filed for all applicable quarters.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will need your full name, relationship to the company, Social Security number, mailing address, the year the company was formed, and the type of tax return filed to authenticate your identity.

Numerous nonprofits and small enterprises have benefited tremendously from the ERC’s financial support. However, the difficulties in tax administration and processing adapted returns for ERC funds should be of some caution to Congress, as they provide a window into the problems for small/medium-sized businesses. This is true especially when there is a lack of focus on tax administration and providing a high quality of taxpayer service. The additional resources present an excellent chance to address these issues, resulting in better service for taxpayers and faster processing times. Congress must make sure that the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are giving this issue their full attention.

ERC Payment Delay Update 

The IRS has made great advances in recent years to improve taxpayers’ ability to track and access their data online. The processing time for ERC refund claims on updated payroll tax returns is not something that is tracked or made available through online tools. The IRS COVID-19 operations page provides the most up-to-date details on the current backlog of these forms. People who have applied for ERC payments say they have waited as long as two years to receive their money.

When will the Checks for the Employee Retention Credit be mailed?

It can take the Internal Revenue Service anywhere from six to nine months from the time you submit your paperwork for an Employee Retention Tax Credit before you receive your payroll tax credit check or confirmation email.

Filing for the Retaining Employees Tax Credit around tax time is thought to cause a delay because the IRS is expected to be swamped with other clients. It’s best to apply for the Employee Retention Tax Rebate as soon as possible if you’re interested.

One of the ERC’s objectives was to provide cash to offset employee expenses but the unavoidable staffing deficit will cause firms to not receive the payments until long after the crisis has passed, and ERC letters will also be delayed.

Why Does the Employee Retention Credit Payment Get Delayed?

An effective wage benefit meant to keep workers on the payroll during the Covid-19 outbreak may take the Internal Revenue Service six to ten months to analyze.

Companies who wish to claim the working tax credit have had to dig deeper into reserves and push back their recovery, according to the payroll providers, because of IRS delays and government policy changes.

The latest update is that the IRS has been unable to promptly handle incoming mail, payments, refunds, tax returns, and correspondence. Many businesses that signed up for the ERC as a result got tax returns that were much lengthier than they had anticipated. 

Problems Persist with Processing ERC Payments 

Many companies have claimed that they have yet to receive their payments. The IRS is still having trouble keeping up with the volume of credit refund requests due to the popularity of this tax break.

The persistent backlog of unprocessed refund payments can be attributed to various causes, including the IRS’s procedure for applying for the credit retroactively and a lack of controls to prevent fraudulent claims. 

Paper Form 941-X submissions were required for companies to claim the credit retroactively. The IRS has fallen substantially behind in processing the paperwork due to the volume. In addition, the IRS is now double-checking requests for sizable ERC credits.

Moreover, the IRS does not yet provide a way for businesses to check the status of a refund. However, many taxpayers have reported having to wait for 10 to 12 months for their ERC refunds. The IRS warns against filing a second return to claim the ERC if you have already submitted a form to claim the credit but have not yet received your refund. Callers continue to face lengthy phone wait times, and whenever they do speak to a representative, they are typically told the refund is untraceable. 

On a positive note, the IRS went before Congress and divulged that they have begun a massive hiring spree to catch up with the demand. These employees will be specifically to help with the Employee Retention Credit. This looks promising for businesses to get money back much quicker.

What Federal Tax Credits ERC Can do For You

As a result of the ERC credit’s rising profile, middlemen have sprung up to offer assurances of sizable refunds to businesses in exchange for either a high contingent fee or an up-front payment. Businesses should be wary of firms offering substantial refunds, as the Internal Revenue Service plans to levy steep penalties for false claims. 

At Federal Tax Credits ERC we pride ourselves with offering the best services and advice for businesses. If you are looking to see if you qualify or have any questions, fill out the contact form and we will serve you the best way we can.