The COVID-19 pandemic has affected various industries in very different ways. In response, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has launched the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). It was established under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) signed into law in March. The RRF went live for applications on May 3, and the SBA is strongly urging interested, eligible businesses to apply as soon as possible.
President Biden’s proposals for individual taxpayers were outlined in an April 28 address to Congress and in an 18-page fact sheet released by the White House. The “American Families Plan” contains tax breaks for low- and middle-income taxpayers and tax increases on those “making over $400,000 per year.”
President Biden has signed the PPP Extension Act of 2021. The new law extends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application filing deadline from March 31, 2021, to May 31, 2021, thus providing potential PPP borrowers additional time to submit their applications. The law doesn’t provide the PPP with any additional funding. However, $7.25 billion in additional funding was recently provided in the American Rescue Plan Act.
The IRS has announced that the federal income tax filing deadline for individuals for the 2020 tax year is extended from April 15, 2021, until Monday, May 17, 2021. The IRS extended the deadline to provide relief to taxpayers facing challenges as a result of the pandemic and because it’s grappling with a rising backlog of 24 million unprocessed returns. As part of its announcement, the IRS stated it would soon be issuing additional guidance about the deadline extension.
Many businesses have retained employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and enjoyed tax relief with the help of the employee retention credit (ERC). The recent signing of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) brings good news: the ERC has been extended yet again.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The $1.9 trillion law is intended to provide far-reaching relief from the economic and other repercussions of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to funding for testing, contact tracing, vaccinations, education, and state and local governments, the ARPA includes extensive relief that could directly impact your finances.
The IRS has released additional guidance in Notice 2021-20 on the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC) with clarifications on the retroactive changes for expanded eligibility applicable to 2020. Employers who received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan have been waiting on guidance on claiming the credit in combination with forgiveness of their loan. The provisions outlined here apply to retroactive claims for 2020 as well as providing a plan for those yet to seek forgiveness.
When the Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) last year, the program’s stated objective was “to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.” However, according to federal officials, the recently issued second round of funding has distributed only a small percentage of the $15 billion set aside for small businesses and low- to moderate-income “first-draw” borrowers.
The Biden administration has announced several reforms to the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to bring greater relief to the smallest and most vulnerable businesses. Among other things, the administration is imposing a two-week moratorium on loans to companies with 20 or more employees and focusing on smaller businesses. It’s also changing several program rules to expand eligibility for the 100% forgivable PPP loans.
It has been almost two years since the United States Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in South Dakota vs. Wayfair that states can require the collection and remission of sales tax without physical presence nexus. If you and your business have not yet educated yourself on the new requirements, now is a good time to do so.
A tax pendulum swings. It swings right and taxes may be cut, and then it swings left and taxes may rise. Meanwhile, taxpayers, accountants and tax counsel try to interpret what might be the outcome. The recent election swung the pendulum to the left, which will likely increase taxes.
In part one of Surviving Adversity: A CEO Panel Discussion, we highlighted the conversations around revenue strategy during the pandemic. In part two, we received how the panelists have adapted the way they manage their graphic arts business in light of COVID-19, including the impact to staffing and internal processes. In part three, we’re taking a look at some of the future predictions for the industry in light of COVID’s impact.
Many business owners generate financial statements, at least in part, because lenders and other stakeholders demand it. You’re likely also aware of how insightful properly prepared financial statements can be — especially when they follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. But how can you best extract these useful insights? One way is to view your financial statements through a wide variety of “lenses” provided by key performance indicators (KPIs). These are calculations or formulas into which you can plug numbers from your financial statements and get results that enable you to make better business decisions.
If you have a traditional IRA or tax-deferred retirement plan account, you probably know that you must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) when you reach a certain age — or you’ll be penalized. The CARES Act, which passed last March, allowed people to skip taking these withdrawals in 2020 but now that we’re in 2021, RMDs must be taken again.
The IRS announced it is opening the 2020 individual income tax return filing season on February 12. (This is later than in past years because of a new law that was enacted late in December.) Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the April 15 deadline (or you file for an extension), consider filing earlier this year. Why? You can potentially protect yourself from tax identity theft — and there may be other benefits, too.