Elegant full-service restaurant at dinner service with waitstaff and guests
IRS Section 45B — FICA Tip Credit

Are You Leaving
Thousands of Dollars
on the Table?

The IRS Tax Credit Most Restaurant Owners Never Claim

If your restaurant, bar, or nightclub has tipped employees, you may be entitled to a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit — and most CPAs never mention it. Use the free calculator to find out exactly how much you could recover.

Calculate My Tax Credit See If I Qualify
100% Free Eligibility Check
No Upfront Costs — Ever
Full Audit Protection Included
$38B+ Annual Tip Revenue in the US
$107,100 Example 4-Year Recovery
3 Yrs Lookback — Recover Past Credits
$0 Upfront Cost — Success-Based Only
Head chef plating a dish in a professional restaurant kitchen
You Likely Already Qualify
Eligibility Criteria

Your Business Qualifies If You Check These Boxes

The FICA Tip Credit (IRS Section 45B) is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your federal tax liability — not a deduction, a credit. Here's who qualifies:

You serve food or beverages for consumption on or off the premises
You have employees who customarily receive tips from customers
You paid the employer portion of Social Security and Medicare taxes on those tips
You file a US federal business tax return (current year or past 3 years)
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Who This Applies To

Built for Food & Beverage Businesses

If tipping is customary in your establishment, you almost certainly qualify. Here are the business types that benefit most:

Full-Service Restaurants
Bars & Cocktail Lounges
Nightclubs & Venues
Hotels & Resorts
Catering Companies
Fine Dining & Breweries
The Process

Three Steps to Recover Your Credit

The entire process is handled by specialists. You provide basic information — they do the rest, with zero upfront cost.

01

Use the Free Calculator

Enter your basic business information — number of employees, annual tip revenue, and state. The interactive estimator shows your potential recovery in under 3 minutes.

02

Specialists Review Your Case

A dedicated FICA Tip Credit specialist reviews your submission, verifies your eligibility, and prepares your claim — including a 3-year lookback for any missed credits.

03

You Receive Your Refund

Credits are applied directly to your tax liability. Unused credits carry back one year or forward up to 20 years. You only pay when you get paid — no upfront fees, ever.

Tax return document with cash and calculator on dark slate
Real Numbers

What a Typical Restaurant Recovers

Here is a real-world example for a restaurant with $500,000 in annual tip revenue. Most owners are shocked by the number.

Line Item Amount
Annual Gross Tips $500,000
Minimum Wage Offset (Est.) − $150,000
Creditable Tips $350,000
FICA Rate (7.65%) × 0.0765
Current Year Credit $26,775
4-Year Total Recovery (Current + 3-Year Lookback) $107,100

* Estimates are illustrative. Your actual recovery depends on tip volume, employee count, and state. Use the free calculator for your exact figure.

Calculate My Exact Recovery
Bars & Nightclubs

Running a Bar or Nightclub?

The FICA Tip Credit applies equally to bars, cocktail lounges, and nightclubs — anywhere tipping is customary. With high-volume tipped staff, your potential recovery is often even larger than a traditional restaurant.

Bartenders & Bottle Service Staff
All tipped employees count — bartenders, servers, cocktail waitresses, and bottle service staff all contribute to your creditable tip base.
High Tip Volume = Higher Credit
Nightclubs and bars often have higher per-employee tip averages than restaurants, meaning the credit amount can be substantial.
Multiple Locations Welcome
Own more than one venue? Each location is assessed individually, and the credits stack — maximising your total recovery across your portfolio.
Check My Bar / Nightclub Eligibility
Luxury nightclub interior with VIP booths, chandeliers and crowd
Common Questions

Your Questions, Answered

Here are the most common concerns restaurant and bar owners have before checking their eligibility.

Absolutely. The FICA Tip Credit is codified in IRS Section 45B and has existed since 1993. Most general-practice CPAs simply aren't specialists in this area and overlook it. That's exactly why dedicated tax credit recovery firms exist — to find what generalists miss.

The eligibility check and credit estimate are completely free. The service operates on a success-based model — you only pay a percentage of what is actually recovered. If no credit is found, you owe nothing.

Claiming a legitimate tax credit does not increase your audit risk. Full audit protection is included with every claim — meaning if the IRS ever questions the credit, specialist attorneys handle the entire process at no additional cost to you.

Yes. The IRS allows amended returns for the past three tax years. That means if you've been operating with tipped staff for three or more years and never claimed the credit, you can recover all of it retroactively — often resulting in a significant lump-sum refund.

The free calculator takes under 3 minutes to complete. From there, the specialist team handles all documentation and filing. IRS processing times for amended returns vary, but most clients receive confirmation within 3–6 months.

Free — No Obligation — Takes Under 3 Minutes

Find Out Exactly How Much
Your Business Can Recover

Dollar-for-dollar. IRS-approved. No upfront cost.

Thousands of restaurant, bar, and nightclub owners are recovering money they didn't know they were owed. The free calculator shows you your exact number in minutes — and the form is the first step to getting it back.

1 Fill out the short qualification form with your business details
2 See your estimated credit recovery instantly
3 A specialist contacts you to confirm and begin your claim
Use the Free Calculator Now

100% Free  ·  No Credit Card  ·  No Obligation  ·  Success-Based Fees Only

You must complete the qualification form on the next page to be assessed for the program. Results vary based on individual business circumstances.