Innovation Refunds Enters into Strategic Alliance with Native American Bank to Provide Resources to Alaska Native and Native American Communities

The alliance will provide key Employee Retention Credit resources to further serve Native people and their communities across the U.S.

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Innovation Refunds, a SOC2 Type 1 certified financial solutions provider dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today announced a new collaboration with Native American Bank, N.A., the only national American Indian-owned community development bank in the United States, to expand Native people’s access to resources enabling claims to capital through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), a tax credit that provides eligible small and medium-sized employers with a refund through the CARES Act.

Together with Innovation Refunds, Native American Bank can provide SMBs in Tribal nations and Alaska Native Corporations with eligibility resources and support from Innovation Refunds’ network of independent tax professionals with no up-front fees and over 50 payroll and accounting integrations to streamline the filing process.

Howard Makler, CEO and co-founder of Innovation Refunds said, “we’re excited to have entered into a strategic alliance with Native American Bank; it’s incredible that it is the only national American Indian-owned community development bank in the country, and we take our role here seriously, having the opportunity to support eligible businesses in a historically underserved community that has been hit especially hard by COVID-19 through its small businesses. We recognize the heavily protected and thoughtful investment processes of each tribal nation and community, and are proud to be in a trusted position to help Native people claim capital through ERC to continue to grow their businesses, and stimulate economic growth.”

“Now more than ever, there is a need for economic resources in Indian Country, which has only increased during the re-opening of businesses. Our alliance with Innovation Refunds allows us to further meet the demand for financial assistance to Indian Country and our local communities, utilizing tools and programs that were previously less accessible. We went through a rigorous and diligent process to ensure Innovation Refunds was the right strategic partner to support our efforts and vision, and we’re looking forward to working together,” stated Tracie Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Native American Bank.

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a tax credit that can provide eligible small and medium-sized employers with a tax refund. As quarterly rollbacks begin to limit ERC claims in the coming months, the Innovation Refunds team aims to serve as a voice of education. Please visit https://www.innovationrefunds.com/ for more information.

About Innovation Refunds

Innovation Refunds is a SOC2 Type 1 certified financial solutions provider dedicated to supporting eligible small and medium-sized businesses to potentially claim capital to grow their businesses from federal and state governments through the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) from the CARES Act. We are powered by a customer-centric mindset, top-tier talent, and experienced leadership from the world's most well-known brands. Since our inception in 2021, we have provided ERC assistance to over 24,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S. To learn more, visit www.innovationrefunds.com and follow us on LinkedIn at Innovation Refunds, Twitter @getrefunds, and Instagram @innovation_refunds.

About Native American Bank, N.A.

Chartered as a national community development-focused bank, Native American Bank is also a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Minority Deposit Institution (MDI). We are committed to being a self-sustaining CDFI and are the only national American Indian-owned community development bank in the country. Native American Bank supports the communities that we service and we received an “outstanding” on the most recent Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) exam.