In some welcome news, the Senate passed the House Bill to provide enhanced and, in many cases, more lenient guidelines for PPP loan forgiveness. As soon as the President signs The Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, borrowers will be able to adjust their plans and budgets for the use of their PPP funds according to the…
With the release of the PPP Loan Forgiveness Application and related guidance, we now have some needed clarification – and yet are left with many unanswered questions. The rules continue to evolve as the 8-week coverage period approaches the finish line for some who qualified for the loans. While there are talks of expanding the 8-week…
Because the regulatory requirements surrounding the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) Loans are continuing to change, we feel it is crucial to update you on some recent developments: Employers looking to rehire employees that have been receiving unemployment must make a good faith, written offer to rehire them. An employee who rejects that offer must…
The IRS has issued guidance providing relief from failure to make employment tax deposits for employers that are entitled to the refundable tax credits provided under two laws passed in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The two laws are the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which was signed on March 18, 2020, and the…
On March 27, another coronavirus (COVID-19) bill was signed into law, which provides extensive relief for businesses and employers. Here are some of the tax-related provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Employee retention credit The new law provides a refundable payroll tax credit for 50% of wages paid by…
Businesses across the country are being affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Fortunately, Congress recently passed a law that provides at least some relief. In a separate development, the IRS has issued guidance allowing taxpayers to defer any amount of federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, until July 15, 2020, without penalties or…
As an employer, you must pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax on amounts up to $7,000 paid to each employee as wages during the calendar year. The rate of tax imposed is 6% but can be reduced by a credit (described below). Most employers end up paying an effective FUTA tax rate of 0.6%. An employer…
The use of a company vehicle is a valuable fringe benefit for owners and employees of small businesses. This benefit results in tax deductions for the employer as well as tax breaks for the owners and employees using the cars. (And of course, they get the nontax benefits of driving the cars!) Even better, recent…
If federal income tax and employment taxes (including Social Security) are withheld from employees’ paychecks and not handed over to the IRS, a harsh penalty can be imposed. To make matters worse, the penalty can be assessed personally against a “responsible individual.” If a business makes payroll tax payments late, there are escalating penalties. And…
