Employers with less than 25 full-time employees earning less than an average of $50,000 a year can now take advantage of the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

The credit is specifically targeted to help small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that pay at least half of employee health insurance premiums. The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit can enable small businesses and small tax-exempt organizations to offer health insurance coverage for the first time and help those already offering health insurance coverage to maintain the coverage they already have.

Here is what small employers need to know so they don’t miss out on the credit for tax year 2011:

• Qualifying businesses calculate the small business health care credit on Form 8941, Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums, and claim it as part of the general business credit on Form 3800, General Business Credit, which they would include with their tax return.

• Tax-exempt organizations can use Form 8941 to calculate the credit and then claim the credit on Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax Return, Line 44f.

• Businesses that couldn’t use the credit in 2011 may be eligible to claim it in future years. Eligible small employers can claim the credit for 2010 through 2013 and for two additional years beginning in 2014.

For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit for eligible small business employers is 35 percent of premiums paid and for eligible tax-exempt employers the maximum credit is 25 percent of premiums paid.  Beginning in 2014, the maximum credit will go up to 50 percent of qualifying premiums paid by eligible small business employers and 35 percent of qualifying premiums paid by eligible tax-exempt organizations.

Additional information about eligibility requirements and calculating the credit can be found on the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers page of IRS.gov.