Score $5k Off Your Taxes for a More Accessible Website!

Guess what? The Federal government is handing out $5,000 to all small businesses. What’s the catch? You have to spend it helping those with disabilities (42.5 million Americans) to successfully navigate your website so that they can more easily become clients. Yes, you heard me right — 42.5 MILLION AMERICANS have a disability. If you want to include this 13.4% of the population in your target audience, then your website needs to accommodate them.

If you are tech savvy and ask “Ok, but credit or deduction?” Fear not, this is a true tax credit. For real.

Still do not believe me? Fair enough, here are the details so that you can look it up: Section 44 of the IRS code lets you snag the tax credit for half your accessibility costs, up to $5,000 a year. Get paid to follow the rules.

We consulted with both AccessiBe as well as our fantastic, experienced tax accountant to be sure we got our facts straight.

HOW EXACTLY DO I MAKE MY SITE ACCESSIBLE?

With Jollity, of course (you saw this coming, right?). Accessibility needs to be incorporated into your website’s design and coding structure. Also, throw on a widget to make sure your bases are covered. Learn more about how Jollity tackles all 3 core tenets of website accessibility.

WHY BOTHER WITH WEB ACCESSIBILITY?

There are 3 main reasons.

1. You are legally obligated. In 2022 alone, 3,255 website accessibility lawsuits were filed in federal court (representing around 3% of demand letters sent). The average settlement is between $5k - $20k.
2. Social Good. Do right by your fellow members of society. Up to 13% of Americans and 20% of people worldwide have a disability.
3. It makes you money. See the stat in the former bullet. How much more revenue could you bring in if you expanded your target audience by 13-20% overnight?

DOES MY ORGANIZATION QUALIFY?

If your revenue was $1 million or less last year OR you have up to 30 full-timers, you're in. Spend on anything from web tweaks to consultancy and even gear for inclusivity.

HOW MUCH CAN I GET?

The IRS credits you back for 50% of your total expenses for up to $10,000, minus the first $250. Let’s say you spent $9,500 on accessibility improvements to your website. 50% of $9,500 is $4,750, minus the first $250 gives you a tax credit of $4,500.

But wait, there are more ways to save on accessibility expenses!

At Jollity, we're committed to empowering our clients to navigate the complexities of web accessibility with ease. As a trusted partner of AccessiBe, we offer our clients exclusive discounts on the AccessiBe widget. Reach out to us to learn more.

THE DISCLAIMER

While we always do our best to get our facts straight, we are not an Accounting firm or CPA, and we are definitely not tax experts. Please pass this info onto your CPA and/or tax accountant who can determine your eligibility as well as qualifying expenditures.

I AM CONVINCED. WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Send this blog post and your Jollity documentation (ask us for it if you qualify) to your tax accountant and let them figure out how to fill out and include form 8826 from the IRS website. Note that Partnerships and S Corps file different forms. Once again, this is why we all have CPAs, so consult with them.

If you are currently in a Jollity Website Management program, we are already talking with you about accessibility. If you are not yet a client, reach out to us to talk about our program and whether it may be a good fit for your organization. Don’t worry, it won’t be some sales dude or dudette getting back to you. It’s me, the CEO and my business partner Jenn, the COO of Jollity.

Take advantage of the ADA tax credit to save money, become a more inclusive organization, and increase your prospect base all at once.

Written by Hannah Novak and Lauren Perfors, with special thanks to Grey CPAs and AccessiBe for helping us to get our facts straight.