Author: Meredith Olafson

  • Top Three Things Small Businesses Should Know About the Affordable Care Act

    Note: This post was originally published on SBA.gov blog. To see the original post, please click here.

    The Affordable Care Act will help small businesses by lowering premium cost growth and increasing access to quality, affordable health insurance. Depending on whether you’re a small employer or a larger employer, different provisions of the Affordable Care Act may apply to you as described below.                                           

    1.  Businesses with Fewer than 25 Employees- Small Business Tax Credits

    The Affordable Care Act does not require that businesses provide health insurance, but it offers tax credits for eligible small businesses that choose to provide insurance to their employees. To qualify for a small business tax credit of up to 35 percent (up to 25 percent for non-profits), you must have:

    • Fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees
    • Pay average annual wages below $50,000
    • Contribute 50 percent or more toward employee health insurance premiums

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