Frequently asked questions
Everything about how P.A.I.D. works, what it costs, and how your data is handled.
About P.A.I.D.
What exactly is P.A.I.D.?
P.A.I.D. (Payroll Asset Incentive Discovery) is a software calculator. You upload your payroll report (or type a few figures), we estimate the federal payroll tax credits your business may qualify for, and generate a CPA-ready packet of pre-filled IRS forms. We are not a CPA, law firm, or tax-preparation service, and we never file, sign, or transmit anything to the IRS.
Which tax credits do you cover?
Eight federal employer credits: §45B (FICA Tip), §45R (Small-Business Health Care), §45E/§45T (Retirement Plan Startup), §44 (Disabled Access), §45S (Paid Family & Medical Leave), §45P (Differential Wage for military), and §45F (Employer Childcare) - plus WOTC (hiring; in a 2026 hiatus, so we track its deadline only). See the full list.
Do you file my taxes or represent me before the IRS?
No. Every figure is an estimate. Your own tax professional reviews, approves, and files everything. We provide the calculations and the prepared packet - the CPA does the filing.
Eligibility & credits
How do you know what I qualify for?
When you upload your payroll report, our engines screen your hours, wages, tips, hire dates, and a few facts you confirm, then estimate each credit. We de-duplicate any wage dollar so the same wages aren't counted twice across credits.
Why is WOTC shown but not billed?
WOTC is in a legislative hiatus for 2026. We don't bill it - we simply guard the strict 28-day Form 8850 deadline on every new hire so your eligibility is preserved if Congress reauthorizes it.
What if a number from payroll looks wrong?
You can override any figure, and you sign attestations for the facts payroll can't see (e.g., that a leave was FMLA-qualifying). Only attested credits count toward your billable total.
Pricing & billing
Is this like those ERC companies that kept calling me?
Structurally, the opposite. The ERC mills charged 20–30% upfront, filed aggressive claims on your behalf, and disappeared when the IRS pushed back. P.A.I.D. never files anything - your own CPA reviews every number and decides what to claim - you pay $0 until your CPA has filed, our math is conservative and keyed to the actual IRS form lines so it's checkable, and these are permanent credits Congress wrote into the tax code, not a pandemic program. If your CPA says no, you owe nothing.
What does it cost?
Generating estimates and your CPA packet is free. You pay a success fee of 15% of the realized, attested credit - and only when you mark it as filed (i.e., after your CPA files). Own more than one location? Your first location bills at 15% and every additional location at 10% - all under one login. Referring three businesses that sign up also drops your rate to 10%.
When am I charged?
Only at "Mark as Filed" - which happens at tax-filing time, not at signup. Nothing is charged to see your estimates or download the packet.
What if my filed credit ends up smaller than the estimate?
The fee is on the realized amount. If what you actually filed differs from the estimate, contact us with your filed figures and we'll reconcile the fee.
Data & security
How do you get my payroll data?
You upload your payroll report - we have step-by-step instructions for ADP (more providers coming) and read hours, wages, and tips per employee - or you just type a few figures off your books. No SSNs or names needed, and one report feeds every calculator.
Do you store employee SSNs or sensitive health info?
No. We reference employees by a non-identifying label (e.g. "EMP-204"), don't require SSNs to compute estimates, and drop sensitive free-text on ingestion. See our Privacy Policy.
Can I delete my data?
Yes - an owner can delete the entire organization and its data anytime from Settings → Danger Zone, which permanently removes all records.
Want to know what this is worth for your business?
Answer a few quick questions and we'll estimate which credits you could claim - no pressure, no commitment.