Tip Tax Credit Program
You paid payroll tax on your team’s tips. The IRS lets you claim it back.
The FICA Tip Credit refunds the employer share of Social Security and Medicare tax paid on tips above minimum wage. Most restaurants never file for it. We handle the whole thing and only get paid when you do.
- Look back three years
- Done-for-you filings
- No upfront cost
Want to refer restaurants instead? Become an affiliate
The money on the table
What one location can look like.
Example
One full-service location
- Reported tips per year
- $500,000
- Employer FICA paid on tips
- $38,250
- Years you can look back
- 3
- Credit you could recover
- $100,000+
Illustrative only. Your credit depends on tip volume, wages and prior filings. Estimates are free and take about ten minutes.
How it works
How the Tip Tax Credit program works
Step 1
Get a free estimate
Tell us your approximate tip volume and locations. We size the credit in about ten minutes — no documents needed.
Step 2
Share payroll and returns
You send us payroll tip reports and prior returns and e-sign one IRS authorization form.
Step 3
We prepare and file
Licensed CPAs amend prior-year returns and set the credit up on every return going forward.
Step 4
The refund arrives
The IRS issues your credit. Our success fee comes out of what is recovered — never before.
Why restaurants choose it
What you get with Tip Tax Credit
Look back three years
Amended returns recover credits you missed in prior years — often five figures per location.
Done-for-you filings
Our CPA team prepares and files every form. Your accountant stays in the loop, or we work with them directly.
No upfront cost
You pay a success fee only after the credit is approved. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.
It keeps paying
Once you are set up, the credit is claimed every year automatically — a permanent boost to your bottom line.
What you’ll need
Nothing is required to get started.
This is what we will ask for once you say go. Your specialist collects it with you.
- Payroll reports showing reported tips (by employee, by pay period)
- Business tax returns for the last three filed years
- Federal EIN and legal business name
- IRS Form 8821 authorization (we prepare it, you sign electronically)
FAQ
Tip Tax Credit questions
Who qualifies?
Any food or beverage business where employees receive tips and you pay the employer share of FICA on those tips — full-service restaurants, bars, cafes, caterers and hospitality groups.
How much is a typical credit?
It depends on tip volume. As a rule of thumb, the credit is roughly 7.65% of tips above the federal minimum wage threshold. A location with $500,000 in annual reported tips often sees $30,000+ per year.
What does it cost?
Nothing upfront. Our fee is a percentage of the credit actually recovered, net of the CPA preparation and bank fees, and is only due once the IRS approves it.
How long does it take?
Document collection takes about a week. Amended returns are filed within 30 days, and the IRS typically processes them in 3 to 6 months.
Other programs
Ready when you are.
Tell us about your restaurant and a specialist will reach out within one business day.