What’s new: IRS warns business owners to avoid employee tax credit scam

Dec 02, 2023

The IRS is sending out a scam alert to business owners regarding a pandemic-related "employee retention credit" that's getting some nefarious attention from marketing fraudsters.

Calling it a "barrage of aggressive broadcast advertising, direct mail solicitations and online promotions," the IRS says promoters are "wildly misrepresenting and exaggerating who can qualify for the credits."

To beat back the scammers, the IRS says it's stepping up audits and criminal probes.

"They can pocket handsome fees while leaving those claiming the credit at risk of having the claims denied or facing scenarios where they need to repay the credit," said IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

The ERC, when properly claimed, is a refundable tax credit aimed at businesses that continued paying employees while they were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses also could have suffered from "a significant decline in gross receipts during the eligibility periods."

The credit is not available to individuals.

The IRS encourages anyone who is being pushed into applying for credit to report it to the agency. To do so, there's a form to fill out and mail. This one has a local address too:

Sprouts Farmers Market joins a bevy of retailers that need extra hands on duty this summer.

The Phoenix-based grocery chain is hosting a hiring event June 9-10 at all of its retail locations.

The job openings, which vary by location, include various department managers, clerks, cashiers, receivers, administrative coordinators and scan coordinators.

Find a list of stores by region at sprouts.com/stores.

In case you’d like to flip burgers and serve up soft-serve ice cream to kids young and old, McDonald's is also hiring 1,000 in the region. Interest applicants can text ‘apply’ to 38000 to start an application via text or go online to jobs.mchire.com.

Rana Barsheh has switched up her career, pivoting from pharmaceutical sales to kitchen remodeling. She's opened a mobile franchise called Kitchen Tune -Up of Rancho Cucamonga, which operates in Upland, Alta Loma and Etiwanda.

The company specializes in helping homeowners transform dated kitchen cabinets, sometimes in as little as a day. Services include cabinet refacing, replacing cabinet doors or cabinets and cabinet painting.

For more information, go to kitchentuneup.com/rancho-cucamonga-ca.

Cinemark Holdings has brought back the Summer Movie Clubhouse to its area theaters.

The program offers family films, plus discounts on tickets and snacks, each week from June 19 through August 10.

Movies featured over these eight weeks include Minions: The Rise of Gru, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mummies, The Bad Guys, Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, DC League of Super-Pets, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Tickets cost $1.50 per person (plus taxes and fees where applicable).

For more information on Summer Movie Clubhouse, visit Cinemark.com/summer-movie-clubhouse or the Cinemark app.

Riverside County resident Enrique Guerrero, a deputy district attorney at the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office since 1999, has been appointed to serve as a judge in San Bernardino County Superior Court. He fills the vacancy that was created when the position was opened July 1, 2022.

Corona resident Anisa Escobedo has been appointed to the State Independent Living Council. She is the founder and CEO of Escobedo Design, which opened in 2016. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation.

The business briefs are compiled and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items to [email protected]. High-resolution images also can be submitted. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.

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