Tax & credits
Business tax credits
ERC, WOTC, and R&D for business owners: what these programs are, where the risks are, and when to bring in a licensed CPA. We are not a tax firm. We help you get oriented and connect with vetted professionals when it makes sense.
Tax credits
Tax & credits inquiry
ERC, WOTC, R&D, or general questions. We connect you with the right specialist. Not tax advice on this form.
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Employee Retention Credit (ERC)
Not tax or legal advice
ERC applied to specific periods and payroll facts. IRS guidance and enforcement changed materially after many owners first heard the pitch. Before you amend returns or pay a promoter, talk with a licensed tax professional who will sign the work.
Historically, the credit could be meaningful for employers who kept people on payroll through disruption (think revenue drops, supply shocks, or operational suspensions, sometimes alongside PPP). Rules were nuanced and time-bound. Promotional claims like “up to $7,000 per employee in 2021” only held where the statute and guidance for that period actually applied.
If you are auditing past eligibility or cleaning up filings, we are not your CPA, but we can discuss whether introductions to vetted tax specialists fit alongside your funding or payments work. Use the form below and note your situation in plain language.
Historical ERC orientation (not current advice)
Background summary only, not current advice. Rules, deadlines, and IRS enforcement evolved. Verify everything with a licensed preparer before amending returns.
- The ERC was designed as a refundable payroll tax credit for employers that kept people on payroll through COVID-era disruption; eligibility hinged on revenue decline, suspension of operations, or other tests that varied by period.
- PPP coordination mattered: wages used for PPP forgiveness generally could not also be used for ERC: your books had to separate the two.
- Statute set percentage and per-employee caps that differed between 2020 and 2021; marketing lines like “up to $7,000 per employee per quarter” only applied inside those windows and fact patterns.
- The IRS later issued moratoriums, guidance, and enforcement priorities around aggressive claims, another reason to use a credentialed advisor, not a landing page.
- Retroactive corrections often involved amended payroll filings (for example Form 941-X). Procedures depend on your facts and year.
Themes owners often ask about (not a determination on your file): revenue reduction, interruptions to operations, supplier or inventory constraints, partial suspension, and whether PPP was taken. Whether any of that supports a credit today is a tax professional question.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
Hiring-target credits are form- and documentation-heavy. We highlight the opportunity for owners who are scaling teams, then connect disciplined filers when it makes sense.
Common target groups employers screen for (names vary by program year; confirm with IRS and state workforce agencies):
- Veterans and TANF recipients
- SNAP (food assistance) recipients
- Vocational rehabilitation referrals
- Long-term unemployed and designated community residents
- Ex-felons and summer youth employees (when applicable)
- Supplemental Security Income recipients
- Certification workflow with state workforce agencies
- Payroll system fields that have to be right on day one
- Coordination with HR and legal on offer letters and screening
Research & development (R&D) credit
The federal R&D credit (and many state analogs) rewards qualified research activity and documentation, not slide decks. In plain terms, it is for development, design, or improvement work on products, processes, or software when the facts support it under Section 41 and related rules. Many industries can qualify; many files fail on substantiation.
R&D credits hinge on qualified activities and contemporaneous documentation, not a landing page checklist. Treat this section as orientation, not a determination.
- Qualified research vs. routine engineering or maintenance
- Substantiation expectations if you are ever examined
- How software and product shops often trip documentation gaps
How we work with tax questions
›Will Dosh file my ERC, WOTC, or R&D credit?
We are not a CPA firm. We may route you to independent tax specialists or discuss timing alongside funding and payments. We do not sign tax returns or promise outcomes.
›Why are ERC, WOTC, and R&D on one page?
So you can scan all three in one place: what each program is, where IRS rules matter, and when to bring in a licensed tax professional. We focus on clear facts and next steps.
›Do you offer “free eligibility” reviews?
We do not use high-pressure promoter language. Tell us your situation in the form; if we can help or introduce someone, we will say so. If not, we will tell you that too.
Where Dosh spends most of its time
Our core motion is business funding and modern payment acceptance. We take select tax-related inquiries. Say what you need in the form and we will respond honestly.
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