The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) was signed by President Trump on December 27, 2020. The expansion of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans and tax-deductibility of expenses paid with the first PPP loan received the most fanfare.  Also included in the CAA was the expansion of the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). If the eligibility requirements are met, businesses could be entitled to significant credit amounts. There are separate eligibility requirements for 2020 and 2021. 

Congress recently passed, and President Trump signed, a new law providing additional relief for businesses and individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. One item of interest for small business owners in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) is the opportunity to take out a second loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate have passed the Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, and President Trump is expected to sign the bill immediately. The agreement comes after weeks of negotiations and two funding extensions to keep Congress open until a bill was passed with a $1.4 trillion government-wide funding plan. The $900 billion coronavirus relief portion includes another round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding, extended unemployment benefits, and direct payments to taxpayers. Here’s an overview of the key provisions in the bill.

In part one of Surviving Adversity: A CEO Panel Discussion, we highlighted the main topics of conversation around revenue following a Printing Industry Midwest (PIM) Financial Executives Council (FEC) meeting. In part two, we’ll cover the discussion by the panelists on how they’ve adapted the way they manage their graphic arts business in light of COVID-19, including the impact to staffing and internal processes.  

Unless Congress acts soon, many small businesses may be hit with an unexpected tax bill related to PPP loans. Join us in supporting the AICPA’s efforts to push for deductibility of PPP-funded expenses! Take action by writing to your Congressman to request PPP expense deductions be allowed. To make it easy, the AICPA has drafted an email that you can use.

In a recent Printing Industry Midwest (PIM) Financial Executives Council webinar, a panel of CEOs from several Minnesota printers got together to discuss surviving the adversity, the state of the graphic arts industry, how it’s been impacted, and where to go from here.  

COVID-19 has changed our lives in many ways, and some of the changes have tax implications. Here is basic information about two common situations.

To say that most small to midsize businesses have at least considered taking out a loan this year would probably be an understatement. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has lowered many companies’ revenue but may have also opened opportunities for others to expand or pivot into more profitable areas.

If your company needs working capital to grow, rather than simply survive, you might want to consider a mezzanine loan. These arrangements offer relatively quick access to substantial funding but with risks that you should fully understand before signing on the dotted line.

President Trump has signed a five-week extension of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), after unanimous agreement by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, in an effort to continue providing relief for small businesses hit hard by the pandemic.

Just last week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it has reopened the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program to eligible applicants still struggling with the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As you may have heard, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allows “qualified” people to take certain “coronavirus-related distributions” from their retirement plans without paying tax. So how do you qualify? In other words, what’s a coronavirus-related distribution?

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced the Minnesota Small Business Relief Grants Program last week. The program, which was approved by the Minnesota Legislature and signed by Governor Tim Walz, will begin accepting applications on June 23 through 5:00 p.m. on July 2.

On June 10, 2020, the AICPA released guidance, to address how borrowers of Payroll Protection Program (PPP) Loans should account for these loans in their GAAP financial statements. The legal form of the PPP loan is debt, however, some believe that the loan is, in substance, a government grant. These conflicting opinions have led the AICPA to provide PPP Loan borrowers with options to account for the PPP Loans. Borrowers can account for the PPP Loans as:

On June 10, 2020, the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an updated interim final rule for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in response to the PPP Flexibility Act passed on June 5, 2020. The updated guidance accounts for revisions made to the covered period, usage of funds changes, extended safe harbors, and more.

Here is a quick rundown of the changes made by the PPP Flexibility Act.

On May 28, 2020, in a nearly unanimous vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to extend certain provisions of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to provide small businesses with relief in the timeframe and use of their PPP loan funds. While President Trump has encouraged changes to PPP, and the Senate had been developing a plan of its own, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act is the first to pass its branch.