IRS posts small business health care credit form

Here’s a news release from the IRS on a new tax form for small businesses interested in the health care tax credit.

The Internal Revenue Service today released a draft version of the form that small businesses and tax-exempt organizations will use to calculate the small business health care tax credit when they file income tax returns next year.

To get a copy of Form 8941 Click here

Both small businesses and tax-exempt organizations will use the form to calculate the credit. A small business will then include the amount of the credit as part of the general business credit on its income tax return.

Tax-exempt organizations will instead claim the small business health care tax credit on a revised Form 990-T. The Form 990-T is used by tax-exempt organizations to report and pay the tax on unrelated business income.

The final version of Form 8941 and its instructions will be available later this year.

The small business health care tax credit was included in the Affordable Care Act signed by the president in March and is effective this year. The credit is designed to encourage small employers to offer health insurance coverage for the first time or maintain coverage they already have.

In 2010, the credit is generally available to small employers that contribute an amount equivalent to at least half the cost of single coverage towards buying health insurance for their employees. The credit is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ moderate- and lower-income workers.

For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit is 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 25 percent of premiums paid by eligible employers that are tax-exempt organizations.

Beginning in 2014, the maximum tax credit will go up to 50 percent of premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 35 percent of premiums paid by eligible, tax-exempt organizations for two years.

The maximum credit goes to smaller employers, those with 10 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, paying annual average wages of $25,000 or less.

The credit is completely phased out for employers that have 25 FTEs or more or that pay average wages of $50,000 per year or more.

More information about the credit, including a step-by-step guide and answers to frequently asked questions, is available on the Affordable Care Act page on the IRS Web site listed above.