Small Business Tax Credits Available for Health Care

From the IRS website, IRS.gov, regarding the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit:

“Millions of small employers received postcards from the IRS beginning in April that alerted them to the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credit and encouraged them to check their eligibility. Even if you didn't receive a postcard, your business still may be eligible.  Read more about this effort. 

Eligibility Rules

• Providing health care coverage. A qualifying employer must cover at least 50 percent of the cost of health care coverage for some of its workers based on the single rate.
• Firm size. A qualifying employer must have less than the equivalent of 25 full-time workers (for example, an employer with fewer than 50 half-time workers may be eligible).
• Average annual wage. A qualifying employer must pay average annual wages below $50,000 per employee.
• Both taxable (for profit) and tax-exempt firms qualify.

Amount of Credit

• Maximum Amount. The credit is worth up to 35 percent of a small business' premium costs in 2010. On Jan. 1, 2014, this rate increases to 50 percent (35 percent for tax-exempt employers).
• Phase-out. The credit phases out gradually for firms with average wages between $25,000 and $50,000 and for firms with the equivalent of between 10 and 25 full-time workers. 

Three Simple Steps for Employers to Qualify:

To determine if your small business or tax exempt organization qualifies for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, follow the three simple steps on the fact sheet. 

To view the IRS fact sheet, go to: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irsutl/3_simple_steps.pdf. 

To see a short video that explains this program, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85i1kzIG57k.”