IRS says ‘vast majority’ of 1 million pandemic-era credit claims show a risk of being improper

By MAE ANDERSON
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service said Thursday a review of 1 million claims for the Employee Retention Credit representing $86 billion shows the “vast majority” are at risk of being improper. The ERC was designed to help businesses retain employees during pandemic-era shutdowns, but it became a magnet for fraud. Its complex eligibility rules allowed scammers to target small businesses. About 10% to 20% of the 1 million claims show “clear signs of being erroneous” and tens of thousands of those will be denied in coming weeks, the IRS said. Another 60% to 70% show “an unacceptable risk” of being improper.