The IRS offers a dollar-for-dollar credit on the FICA taxes you already pay on employee tips. Most accountants never mention it because they are not aware of it — and it can be claimed retroactively for up to 3 prior years.
No upfront cost. We are paid a percentage of the credit we secure — nothing unless there is money back.
This is what the refund math looks like for a single restaurant — your numbers come from your own payroll records.
Illustrative sample only — your actual credit depends on payroll records and qualifying wages. Your free eligibility check pins down your real number.
A 70-second walkthrough of how restaurants recover the credit — dollar for dollar, success fee only.
Slide to your annual reported tip income and watch the estimate update.
Quick estimate only — it scales with your tipped payroll. The free eligibility check at restaurantfica.com/qualify/ pins down your real number.
Enter your work email and we’ll show your year-by-year estimate right here.
We’ll only use your email to follow up on your estimate. No spam, ever.
We do the heavy lifting. You collect the credit.
A quick review of your tipped payroll confirms whether you qualify. No credit, no cost — and you’ll still learn something useful.
Our team identifies your qualifying tips, calculates the full credit — including prior years — and handles the filing paperwork.
It reduces your tax bill directly, year after year. We’re paid a percentage of what we secure — nothing upfront, ever.
Straight answers, no fine print.
It’s a federal tax credit (IRS §45B) for employers of tipped workers. It refunds the employer share of FICA tax — 7.65% — paid on qualifying employee tips, dollar for dollar against income tax.
Nothing upfront. It’s a pure success fee: our partners are paid a percentage of the credit they secure for you. If there’s no credit, you pay nothing.
It scales with tipped payroll — for illustration, $500,000 in annual reported tips works out to roughly $38,000 per year before fees. Your free check will pin down your actual number.
No. If your staff reports tips and you run payroll, you likely already have everything needed.
The eligibility check takes minutes. Once we start, most claims take about 16–24 weeks from kickoff to credit, depending on how many years we claim — you’ll get a clear timeline up front.
No. It’s a tax credit — not a loan, and not a deduction that shaves a little off. It comes dollar-for-dollar straight off your tax bill, and there’s nothing to pay back, ever.
This credit has been part of the federal tax code for decades and is claimed through the normal business tax filing process — it’s not a special program or a red flag. Our specialists prepare the calculations and supporting documentation so your claim is complete and supportable.
After the free eligibility check, specialists review your payroll records and reported tips, calculate the credit for the current year plus up to three prior years, and prepare the claim as part of your business tax filings. You review and approve everything — they handle the paperwork.
Typically your payroll records showing reported tips — usually the quarterly payroll filings for the years being claimed. If your staff reports tips and you run payroll, you likely already have everything. Nothing new to install or create.
No. The ERC (Employee Retention Credit) was a pandemic-era program with its own eligibility windows, which have closed. The FICA tip credit is a separate, long-standing provision of the tax code for employers of tipped workers. Different rules, different process.
Most accountants never mention it because they are not aware of it.
The credit is based on reported tips — only tips your employees report to you and that run through payroll count. Unreported cash tips don’t generate a credit. The calculator estimate uses your annual reported tip income, which is the number that matters.
Generally, staff who customarily receive tips: servers, bartenders, bussers, baristas, hosts who receive tip-outs, delivery drivers, and similar roles. The specialists confirm exactly which roles qualify from your payroll records.
Rough minimums are about $700K in annual sales, 10+ employees, or 3+ locations — meeting any one of them is usually enough. The free eligibility check takes sixty seconds and tells you for sure.
Yes. Once it’s set up, the credit is available every year going forward — plus the one-time lookback of up to three prior years.
Unused credit generally isn’t lost: as a general business credit, unused amounts can typically be carried back one year and forward for up to 20 years. Your tax advisor can confirm how this applies to you.
It reduces your income tax bill dollar-for-dollar. It’s not a separate check in the mail — it’s a credit applied against taxes you owe.
Run the free eligibility check online, or book a free 15-minute call. Either way you’ll know quickly whether you qualify — no cost, no obligation.
Book a free 15-minute call. We’ll tell you in plain English whether you qualify — no cost or obligation in any way.
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