Recently, the number of scams has increased involving the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), a refundable tax credit for some businesses and tax-exempt organizations that were affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scammers are using the publicly available information of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applicants to contact by them by phone, letter, email, and texts offering to obtain the ERC on their behalf. However, the only way to file for the ERC is on a federal employment tax return. Any solicitation by a third party to file for ERC on someone’s behalf results in potentially stealing someone’s identity, charging exorbitant fees by “helping” the business when they may not qualify, and the business could incur possible tax penalties for improperly claimed tax credit.
We want to assure our customers that Sawyer Savings Bank:
- does not sell your personal information to third parties
- will not contact you to ask to file ERC applications on your behalf
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at (888) 772-1871 or contact your tax preparer/accountant for more details. For additional information about the Employee Retention Credit and possible scams, visit the website page provided by the IRS: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/employee-retention-credit
For more helpful tips on staying safe from scams and protecting your personal information, please visit the Safety and Security section on our website by clicking here.
Thank you for your continued support.
James Whitaker, President