Disclaimer: We are not tax or legal experts, and this article does not constitute tax or legal advice. Please consult a qualified tax advisor to address your specific situation.
Why Website Accessibility Matters for Your Small Business
If you have a website for your small business, you may have heard about “website accessibility” in recent years. This topic has become especially important as many small businesses have faced legal challenges, including lawsuits, for failing to meet accessibility standards required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
A landmark 2019 Supreme Court decision confirmed that businesses can be sued if their websites are not accessible to individuals with disabilities. For more details, check out the Los Angeles Times article titled Supreme Court allows blind people to sue retailers if their websites are not accessible.
What Is Website Accessibility?
Website accessibility ensures that all individuals—including those with disabilities or environmental limitations—have equal access to your website’s content and functionality. While most people associate accessibility with individuals who are blind, it extends far beyond that. Let’s consider a few scenarios:
- Colorblind Users: Instructions like “Text in RED indicates a required field” can be unclear to someone who cannot see red (an issue affecting roughly 8% of men).
- Slow Internet Connections: Users with limited bandwidth may struggle to load resource-heavy websites.
- Noisy Environments: Individuals in loud spaces, like coffee shops, cannot engage with video content if no captions or transcripts are provided.
- Older Adults: A lack of clear instructions (e.g., whether “Name” means first or full name) can frustrate users unfamiliar with web forms.
By ignoring accessibility, you could exclude up to 25% of your potential audience. Fortunately, there are established standards to guide website accessibility efforts.
WCAG 2.1 Standards
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), with the most recent version being WCAG 2.1. These guidelines help ensure websites are accessible to individuals with a variety of needs.
At our agency, we stay up to date by undertaking voluntary certification courses on accessibility to better serve our clients and ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 standards.
IRS Tax Credit for Website Accessibility
The IRS offers an incentive for small businesses to make accessibility improvements. Under IRS Code Section 44, the Disabled Access Credit allows eligible small businesses to receive a tax credit of up to $5,000 for making accessibility accommodations, including website accessibility improvements.
Key Details of the Tax Credit
- Businesses can claim the credit using IRS Form 8826.
- The credit covers 50% of eligible access expenditures exceeding $250 but not exceeding $10,250 in a taxable year.
- The maximum credit is $5,000.
Does Your Business Qualify for the Tax Credit?
Your small business may qualify if:
- Your gross receipts were $1 million or less in the previous tax year, or
- You had 30 or fewer full-time employees in the previous tax year.
To confirm your eligibility, consult your CPA or a trusted tax advisor.
Why Work with Professionals for Accessibility
Creating an accessible website requires specialized knowledge of WCAG 2.1 standards and a commitment to detail. While some tools claim to provide “quick fixes,” they often fail to meet legal standards and do not address the full scope of accessibility. A professional evaluation of your website’s code, content, and design is essential.
Get a Free Website Accessibility Assessment
We’re here to help! Reach out to us if you would like to talk about your website’s current accessibility. Let’s work together to make your website accessible to all—and help you take advantage of valuable incentives like the IRS tax credit.
