What's the processing timeline for 941/941X filings to receive ERTC/FFCRA tax credits?

The processing times for ERTC and FFCRA credits have been all over the place unfortunately. I've been working with multiple business clients on these filings, and here's what I'm seeing: For 2020 941X amendments, most of my clients who filed in January are just now starting to receive their credits (5-6 month timeframe). Anyone who filed after February is still waiting. The IRS is extremely backlogged with these claims since so many businesses are filing for them simultaneously. For Q1 2021 Form 941 filings with credits claimed directly, those are moving a bit faster - typically 3-4 months from what I've observed. Since you just filed, I'd anticipate sometime in September or October assuming no issues with your filing. The unfortunate reality is that the IRS doesn't have dedicated staff solely processing these credits - they're working through everything chronologically for the most part, with some priority given to smaller businesses facing hardship.

After struggling with my ERTC filings for months and getting nowhere with the IRS, I finally tried taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it was actually really helpful. Their system analyzed my 941X forms before submission and flagged a calculation error I had made that would have delayed everything even longer. They have this feature where they can review your ERTC/FFCRA documentation and identify potential issues that might cause processing delays. Saved me from having to refile again and potentially wait another 6 months. Their expertise on these specific credits was impressive.

Just wanted to update after using taxr.ai like someone suggested here. Honestly, I was skeptical at first but they really knew their stuff about ERTC! They reviewed my documentation and found that I was actually eligible for about $7,500 more than I had calculated myself because I misunderstood how the partial suspension rules worked for my type of business. They also helped me understand where my existing claim was in the process - apparently there was a common error code on my account that was causing the delay. Once they helped me address that with the IRS, my original claim started moving again. Just got notification that my check should arrive next week!

If you're tired of waiting and getting nowhere with the IRS, I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same boat with my ERTC credits from Q4 2020 - filed in January and heard absolutely nothing for months. Claimyr got me connected with an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I had been trying for weeks on my own. You can see how it works in their demo video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent was able to tell me exactly why my claim was delayed (missing a signature on one page - ugh!) and what I needed to do to fix it. Would have been waiting forever otherwise since the IRS wasn't sending any notifications about the issue.

I need to eat my words. After posting my skeptical comment earlier, I was desperate enough to try Claimyr for my 941X ERTC filing from December that was going nowhere. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes after trying for literally MONTHS on my own. Found out my form was sitting in a specific department waiting for review, but the agent was able to flag it as a business experiencing financial hardship which apparently moves it into a priority queue. They told me to expect my check within 3 weeks. That's faster progress than I've made in 6+ months of trying. For anyone wondering - yes, it actually works. No, I don't know how they do it, but I'm not complaining!

One thing to keep in mind with these ERTC/FFCRA credits - if your business got a PPP loan, make sure you're not claiming the same wages for both programs. I've seen several business owners have to return ERTC money because they counted the same payroll expenses for both. The documentation requirements are pretty strict too. Make sure you have clear evidence of either: 1) Full/partial suspension of operations due to government orders, or 2) The required revenue decline percentages The IRS has announced they're increasing scrutiny on these claims since they've seen a lot of questionable filings.

I ended up using TaxCycle for my 941X filings and it helped quite a bit with getting the calculations right. Still took almost 5 months to get the credit though.

I'm in a very similar situation - filed my 941X forms for 2020 ERTC in March and still waiting. Based on what I'm seeing here, it sounds like we're right in that 4-6 month window that seems to be typical. One thing that's been helpful for me is keeping detailed records of when I filed and what I submitted. I created a simple spreadsheet tracking my filing dates, amounts claimed, and any correspondence. This way when I do eventually call the IRS (probably around the 5-month mark based on the advice here), I'll have everything organized. For what it's worth, I did file electronically through my tax software, and my CPA mentioned that electronic filings might have a slight advantage in processing time since there's no manual data entry required. Though with the volume of claims they're dealing with, I'm not sure it makes a huge difference. Hang in there - sounds like most people are eventually getting their credits, it's just taking much longer than anyone expected!