Frequently Asked Questions
Look over our most common questions below to help you understand the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit program (sometimes called the “SETC”) through Lendesca. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please feel free to click the chat widget in the bottom right corner of your screen to interact with our Customer Support team.
General Credit Questions
The Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) is a refundable tax credit for self-employed individuals who were unable to work in 2021 due to COVID-19-related reasons. You may qualify if you were sick with COVID-19, under quarantine, or caring for a child or dependent due to school or daycare closures. Eligible applicants can receive compensation for up to 10 days of sick leave and 50 days of family leave, with a maximum refund of $32,220.
To determine your eligibility, you can use our online qualification tool, which will assess your self-employment income and days impacted by COVID-19.
The maximum refundable tax credit you can receive through the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) program is $32,220.
The deadline to file for a refund on your 2021 taxes through the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) program is April 18, 2025. After this date, you will no longer be able to claim the credit or receive a refund for your 2021 tax year.
The Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) application process is simple and fully online. Here’s how it works:
- 1. Check Eligibility – Use our online tool to see if you qualify based on your 2021 self-employment income and COVID-19 impact.
- 2. Verify Identity – Provide basic information to confirm your identity and tax details.
- 3. Sign Your Return – Review and sign your amended tax return.
- 4. Receive Your Refund – Choose your preferred payment option and get your funds once processed.
To complete your Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) application, you’ll need to provide:
- • Proof of Self-Employment Income – Your 2021 tax return (Schedule C or SE) showing net earnings.
- • COVID-19 Impact Dates – The specific days you were unable to work due to COVID-19-related reasons.
- • Identification Information – Basic personal details to verify your identity.
Our automated system retrieves most tax documents for you, so no manual uploads are needed!
Yes, the application process is fully automated, making it fast and hassle-free. It securely retrieves your tax documents, verifies your identity, and calculates your eligible credit without requiring manual uploads. This automation reduces errors and ensures accuracy by pulling official tax data directly, streamlining the entire filing process
Your personal and financial information is protected through advanced encryption and secure data handling protocols. The system uses bank-level security to safeguard your data, ensuring it remains confidential and protected from unauthorized access. Additionally, identity verification measures help prevent fraud and ensure that only you can access your tax credit.
If you have questions or need assistance with your application, you can contact our support team at help@lendesca.com. Our team is available to provide guidance and ensure a smooth application process.
If you had multiple periods of self-employment in 2021, the tax credit is calculated based on the income earned during each eligible period. The system automatically determines your credit by analyzing your tax records, ensuring you receive the maximum amount for the days you were unable to work due to COVID-19-related reasons.
Yes, you can still qualify for the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) even if your income was inconsistent or below a certain threshold. Eligibility is based on whether you were unable to work due to COVID-19-related reasons, not solely on income levels. However, the amount of the credit you receive may be influenced by your earnings during the affected period.
Yes, if you’ve already filed your 2021 taxes, you can amend your return to claim the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL). You’ll need to file an amended tax return (Form 1040-X) to include the credit. Our process can help guide you through this to ensure you get the refund you’re eligible for.
Our system automatically verifies your eligibility through a streamlined, automated process before proceeding with your application. This minimizes the need for manual review, ensuring quicker results and reducing the chance of errors. However, in rare cases where additional information is needed, a manual review may be requested to finalize your application.
We customize our approach for each case to ensure that all income sources are accounted for, even in more complicated situations. If needed, our team can help guide you through the process.
No, the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) is not a scam. There are groups who are putting out false information about the SLFL program, but the program itself is very real. And, as far as Lendesca is concerned, we have been in business for three years managing small business loans. We decided to make the SLFL service one of the many products that we offer.
Don’t be fooled or scammed by anyone. The reason the process takes longer with us is because we are verifying all of the information we receive from you. And, with that information, we determine whether or not applicants fit into the narrow window that allows for them to receive a tax credit.
No, the Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) is not a loan for self-employed workers. It is a tax credit that the government has created to give self-employed individuals a chance to recoup some of the financial loss they may have incurred during the 2020 and 2021 tax periods.
Depending on how much time you missed due to having COVID, taking care of someone who had COVID, or needing to assist your children while COVID restrictions were in place, you could be entitled to funds from the federal government.
Yes, it is. But the IRS actually take Self-employed earnings from 2020 or 2021 whichever is higher.
At different points in the process, Lendesca will need specific information. Sometimes this information will be very basic – such as your name and address – and other times this information will be what is classified as Personal Identifiable Information (PII). This includes information such as your social security number. While it may make some people uncomfortable to supply their social security number, it is a necessary step in the process.
It is necessary to have this information because we need it in order to access your tax information from the 2021 tax year. In gaining access to this information on your behalf, we are able to tell you with greater accuracy whether or not you qualify for Sick Leave and Family Leave Tax Credit (SLFL) and, if you do, how much you expect to receive. Without this information the process stalls as we will not be able to pull the necessary information from the IRS.
Your estimated credit is based on the income information you provide in your application form. Our system reviews your tax transcript from the IRS and uses your self-employed income from the transcript to calculate your final credit.
Advance Funding Questions
The Refund Advance option allows eligible applicants to receive their tax credit funds within 3-5 days after signing instead of waiting for IRS processing. The advance is provided at no upfront cost, as the processing fee is deducted from the refund amount.
To qualify, you must have a minimum tax credit of $3,000 and pass identity and banking verification. If eligible, you’ll complete a few quick steps, sign the required agreements, and receive your funds via direct deposit shortly after approval.
Advance: Receive funds 3-5 days after you e-sign your agreement. This option allows you to get an advance on your tax credit, providing quick access to financial relief—without waiting for IRS processing.
Pay Now: Receive funds in 12-16 weeks. This option requires an upfront payment, and you won’t have any future payments or obligations to manage.
If the IRS delays processing your refund, it won’t affect the Refund Advance option provided. The Refund Advance is based on your approved credit amount, not the IRS’s processing timeline. Once your application is verified and approved, you can receive the advance regardless of any delays from the IRS in issuing the actual refund.
No, there are no additional fees or interest charged on the Refund Advance if the IRS takes longer than expected to process your credit. The terms of the advance remain the same regardless of IRS processing times, so you won’t incur extra costs due to delays.
Yes, Lendesca has an SLFL Credit Advance Program. This program provides you with upfront funding at no out-of-pocket cost, as the advance covers any processing fees. With this option, you can access your funds within 72 hours of signing the advance paperwork, eliminating the waiting period for IRS processing.
Typically, within 72 hours of signing the advance paperwork, provided all steps are completed promptly.
Here’s the process:
- 1. You will wet-sign the Amendment (Tax) Paperwork and return to Lendesca.
- 2. Lendesca reviews for signatures and data for accuracy, signs, and scans the documents into the system.
- 3. Refund Advance paperwork is emailed to you for e-signature.
- 4. Once the refund advance paperwork is e-signed, Lendesca mails the amendment paperwork to the IRS.
- 5. After mailing, your advance deposit will be initiated within 36-48 hours by our bank.
- Please note that ACH processing times may vary depending on your bank, so the deposit may not fall precisely within that timeframe. However, this is the general timing we expect.
When you enroll in the Advance Program, we will verify your bank account details. The advance funds will be deposited as an ACH directly into the same bank account used during the verification process.