Details of Public Law 116-127, section 7001 , Payroll Credit for Required Paid Sick Leave

This section provides an employer a credit applied against the Social Security Tax (SST) and the Railroad Retirement Tax (RRT) for each calendar quarter in an amount equal to 100% of the qualified sick leave wages paid by such employer with respect to such calendar quarter, subject to certain limitations. For purposes of this section, the term “qualified sick leave wages” means wages, defined by IRC section 3121(a), and compensation, defined by IRC section 3231(e), paid by an employer, which is required to be paid by reason of the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act.

The credit allowed for any calendar quarter is limited to the SST and RRT tax imposed for such calendar quarter, and any excess will be treated as an overpayment that can be refunded under IRC section 6402(a), credits against estimated taxes, and IRC section 6413(b), overpayments of certain employment taxes. The amount of the credit allowed under this provision can be increased by certain employer qualified health plan expenses. In addition, the gross income of the employer for the taxable year that includes the last day of any calendar quarter with respect to which a credit is allowed under this section shall be increased by the amount of such credit. Any wages taken into account in determining the credit allowed under this section shall not be taken into account for purposes of determining the credit allowed under IRC section 45S, the employer credit for paid sick leave.

Employers can elect not to have these provisions apply.