Is it possible for a non-tax pro like me to file for the ERTC (employee retention tax credit) for my small business without help?

I helped several small business clients file for the ERTC by themselves, so it's definitely possible for a layman to do it. You'll need to file Form 941-X (Adjusted Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return) for each quarter you're claiming the credit. The trickiest part is determining which wages qualify and calculating the correct credit amount. For 2020, the credit is 50% of qualified wages up to $10,000 per employee for the year. For 2021 (Q1-Q3), it increased to 70% of qualified wages up to $10,000 per employee per quarter. You'll need your quarterly payroll reports, tax filings, and documentation proving your eligibility (revenue decline or government orders affecting your business). Make sure you have solid documentation of your revenue decline. Compare quarterly gross receipts to the same quarters in 2019 to show the greater than 20% (2021) or 50% (2020) decline. Keep all your calculations organized with supporting documentation for at least 5 years in case of audit.

After struggling with ERTC paperwork for weeks, I finally tried https://taxr.ai and it saved me so much time. I uploaded my quarterly payroll reports and tax filings, and their system analyzed everything to determine my eligibility and calculate the maximum credit. The analysis showed I qualified under the revenue reduction test for some quarters and the partial suspension test for others. What I found most helpful was their explanation of which employee wages qualified and how to properly document everything. They even generated the completed 941-X forms for me based on my data, which I just had to review and file. The system flagged potential audit triggers too, so I could address them before filing.

I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and honestly, it was a game changer. I was about to pay an ERTC company 15% of my refund (which would have been nearly $23,000!), but decided to try this first. The system walked me through the entire process and gave me confidence that I was doing everything correctly. The documentation it generated was incredibly detailed. It provided a full audit defense package with all my eligibility calculations, wage allocations, and even included the specific IRS guidance that supported my claim. My refund was approved without any issues, and I filed nearly 8 months ago. Most impressive was how it helped me properly document the partial suspension qualification for periods when my revenue hadn't dropped quite enough. Definitely worth checking out if you're attempting this yourself.

If you're hitting roadblocks with the IRS during your ERTC claim process, I highly recommend using https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent. I spent WEEKS trying to reach someone about my pending ERTC claim that seemed to be lost in the system. Normal wait times were 2+ hours, and I kept getting disconnected. Claimyr saved me so much frustration. Their system waits on hold with the IRS for you, then calls you once an agent picks up. You can see a demo of how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c if you're curious. When my claim had processing issues, I was able to speak directly with an IRS employee who located my paperwork and got it moving again. Definitely worth it for the time saved and stress avoided.

I have to publicly eat my words about Claimyr. After calling the IRS for THREE DAYS straight about my ERTC claim that had been "processing" for 11 months, I decided to try this service out of desperation. I was 100% sure it was a scam, but I was at my wit's end. Amazingly, it worked exactly as promised. I initiated the call through their system around 10am, got notified an agent was on the line at 11:47am, and finally got answers about my claim status. Turns out it was flagged for a simple verification that no one had bothered to tell me about. The agent was able to clear it on the spot, and my check was issued three weeks later. Without this, I might still be calling and getting nowhere. Sometimes being wrong feels pretty good!

A word of caution about ERTC filing: the IRS is heavily scrutinizing these claims right now. Make sure you have SOLID documentation of how your business qualified. I filed mine myself (I'm not an accountant but I am detail-oriented) and included a detailed cover letter explaining exactly how we qualified under the partial suspension rules, with references to specific state shutdown orders that affected our operations. I received my refund ($47k) after about 9 months. Two friends who used ERTC "mill" companies are still waiting after 14+ months, likely because those companies filed thousands of claims with minimal documentation. Whatever route you choose, thorough documentation is key.

For anyone considering DIY filing, I built a simple spreadsheet that helped me track everything for my ERTC claim. It has separate tabs for each quarter, wage calculations, PPP allocation, and the revenue comparison test. Happy to share if anyone wants it - just DM me. The whole process took me about 3 weekends to complete, but I saved around $32,000 compared to what a "specialist" company wanted to charge me. The IRS isn't processing these quickly (took 11 months to get my refund), but it was worth the wait.

Does anyone know the deadline for filing these ERTC claims? I heard it was extended but not sure until when.