Under the SECURE Act 2.0, businesses with 50 or fewer employees can claim up to $16,500 in tax credits just for starting a 401(k) — and that's before employer contribution credits that can add thousands more. This free guide breaks down the exact numbers, who qualifies, and how to claim it.
Free PDF. No consultation required. Takes 5 minutes to read.
I know I'm paying too much in taxes. I just don't know how to fix it.
If you're a business owner doing $1M–$20M in revenue, you've said this — or something close to it. Maybe in April, after your accountant handed you the number. Maybe in December, when you realized another year went by without a real tax strategy.
Your accountant tells you what you owe. Nobody tells you what you could have done differently.
And the worst part? The money you're overpaying doesn't come back. Every year you miss a credit or a deduction, it's gone.
Here's what's happening right now that most business owners don't see:
Your competitors — the ones your best employees keep leaving for — are offering 401(k) plans. Not because they're more generous. Because they figured out what you haven't been told:
A 401(k) isn't just an employee benefit. It's a tax strategy.
Under the SECURE Act 2.0, businesses with 50 or fewer employees can claim three separate tax credits:
Covers up to 100% of plan startup costs for the first three years.
Additional credit for including automatic enrollment — for three years.
Per-employee credit on employer contributions — for up to five years.
in startup and auto-enrollment credits alone over three years —
before employer contribution credits that scale with your team size
A 25-person company making modest employer contributions could see over $100,000 in total tax credits across the first five years.
And while that math is sitting on the table, 48% of small business owners think they can't afford a retirement plan. Meanwhile, retirement benefits rank in the top 3 factors employees consider when choosing where to work.
Every year you wait is a year of credits you can't reclaim.
Startup costs, auto-enrollment, and employer contributions — broken down to exact dollar amounts with no fine print buried.
For most businesses with under 50 employees, the tax credits cover 100% of startup costs. The plan can effectively cost you nothing in year one.
The five-year math, laid out clearly so you can run the numbers for your own team.
82% of employees say they can't compete on benefits with larger companies. This is how small businesses close that gap.
These credits are available from the year you start the plan, not retroactively. Every year without a plan is a year of credits permanently lost.
I'm Austin Harley, a financial advisor in Charleston, SC. I work with business owners — not retirees, not trust fund kids, not people who need help picking a mutual fund.
Business owners in the $1M–$20M range have a specific set of problems: taxes that feel reactive instead of strategic, employees getting poached by companies with better benefits, and a financial advisor who's never once asked how the business actually works.
That's the gap I fill. I help business owners use tools like the 401(k) tax credit not just as a benefit, but as a real financial strategy — one that cuts your tax bill, keeps your team, and compounds over time.
Helping business owners across South Carolina turn their 401(k) into a tax strategy — not just a benefits checkbox.
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— [First name, Last initial], [Business type], [City]
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— [First name, Last initial], [Business type], [City]
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— [First name, Last initial], [Business type], [City]
Every year without a plan is a year of tax credits you can't get back. The SECURE Act 2.0 made starting a 401(k) the most financially obvious decision a small business owner can make — but only if you actually know the credits exist.
This guide gives you the exact numbers. Five minutes. No jargon. No sales pitch.
Free download. No consultation required. No one's going to call you.
Just a clear breakdown of what's available and how to claim it.