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Several issues involving the new employee retention credit are in need of clarity and guidance, the AICPA told Treasury and the IRS on Friday. In a letter from Christopher Hesse, CPA, chair of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee, to David Kautter, the assistant secretary for tax policy at Treasury, and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, the AICPA identified eight areas where taxpayers and practitioners need guidance and made recommendations.

The employee retention credit is available for employers that close or suspend operations or have much-reduced gross receipts due to the coronavirus pandemic. The credit, which was enacted in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. 116-136, is designed to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll by providing a refundable tax credit of 50% of up to $10,000 in wages paid by an eligible employer whose business has been financially impacted by COVID-19.