Sec. 503. Disaster-Related Employment Relief

Posted by Kim Chen on October 19th, 2017

Employee Retention Credit for Employers Affected by Hurricane Irma.—

(1)In general.—

For purposes of section 38 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, in the case of an eligible employer, the Hurricane Irma employee retention credit shall be treated as a credit listed in subsection (b) of such section. For purposes of this subsection, the Hurricane Irma employee retention credit for any taxable year is an amount equal to 40 percent of the qualified wages with respect to each eligible employee of such employer for such taxable year. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the amount of qualified wages which may be taken into account with respect to any individual shall not exceed $6,000.

(2)Definitions.—

For purposes of this subsection—

(A)Eligible employer.—

The term “eligible employer” means any employer—

(i)which conducted an active trade or business on September 4, 2017, in the Hurricane Irma disaster zone, and

(ii)with respect to whom the trade or business described in clause (i) is inoperable on any day after September 4, 2017, and before January 1, 2018, as a result of damage sustained by reason of Hurricane Irma.

(B)Eligible employee.—

The term “eligible employee” means with respect to an eligible employer an employee whose principal place of employment on September 4, 2017, with such eligible employer was in the Hurricane Irma disaster zone.

(C)Qualified wages.—

The term “qualified wages” means wages (as defined in section 51(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, but without regard to section 3306(b)(2)(B) of such Code) paid or incurred by an eligible employer with respect to an eligible employee on any day after September 4, 2017, and before January 1, 2018, which occurs during the period—

(i)beginning on the date on which the trade or business described in subparagraph (A) first became inoperable at the principal place of employment of the employee immediately before Hurricane Irma, and

(ii)ending on the date on which such trade or business has resumed significant operations at such principal place of employment.

Such term shall include wages paid without regard to whether the employee performs no services, performs services at a different place of employment than such principal place of employment, or performs services at such principal place of employment before significant operations have resumed.
(3)Certain rules to apply.—

For purposes of this subsection, rules similar to the rules of sections 51(i)(1) and 52, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, shall apply.

(4)Employee not taken into account more than once.—

An employee shall not be treated as an eligible employee for purposes of this subsection for any period with respect to any employer if such employer is allowed a credit under subsection (a), or section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, with respect to such employee for such period.