CHICAGO, IL (April 17, 2012) – The May 15 deadline is approaching for local Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) congregations to take advantage of a tax credit that returned more than $500,000 to Covenant churches last year, notes ECC Controller Elliott Johnson.

One local Covenant church treasurer writes, “I am the treasurer for . . . our church, and I wanted to thank you for your continued help with the Health Care Tax Credit. For 2010, we received a credit of $6,974. And for 2011, we will receive a credit of $6,646. What a blessing!”

That story is being repeated in congregations and other ministries throughout the Covenant – Pilgrim Pines Conference Center received just over $20,000 and Modesto (California) Covenant Church received more than $6,000.

As part of the Affordable Care Act enacted in March 2010, the Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers is designed to encourage both small businesses and small tax-exempt organizations (like churches) to offer health insurance coverage to their employees for the first time or to maintain coverage they already have.

To learn more about the requirements for qualification, see a previously published story. Additional information also is available by emailing Johnson.

Churches need to submit the appropriate tax forms by May 15 to get the credit for this year.