Small businesses that manage to get their Paycheck Protection Program loans forgiven may find themselves losing valuable tax breaks, according to new guidance from the Internal Revenue Service.
Companies that qualify for loan forgiveness under legislation Congress approved won’t be able to deduct the wages or other businesses expenses they paid for using the loan, according to an IRS notice published Thursday.
“This treatment prevents a double tax benefit,” the agency said in the notice. “This conclusion is consistent with prior guidance of the IRS.”
The guidance clarifies a point of confusion in the $670 billion small business loan program to help businesses struggling as the coronavirus has brought the economy to a standstill. The law states that the forgiven loan won’t be taxed, but didn’t specify whether companies could still write off the expenses they covered with that money.
With the holiday season approaching, employees may be indulging more and focusing less. An employer-provided nutrition program can help workers practice healthy habits.
Peter Jackson is the Group Director for Data Sciences and is responsible for the Group Data Strategy across Legal & General. He is co-author of two best-selling books,The Chief Data Officer’s Playbook published by Facet November 2017, and Data-Driven Business Transformation published in March 2019 by Wiley. On the international lecture circuit, he speaks regularly on data, innovation and business transformation. He can be reached at peter.jackson@landg.com.
The outcomes of two elections in Georgia that are scheduled for Jan. 5 are expected to determine the balance of power in the Senate and may also have an impact on the kind of tax planning that accountants should be advising their clients to do.
The tax code permits companies to write off businesses expenses, such as wages, rent and transportation expenses, but generally doesn’t allow write-offs for tax-exempt income.
The ruling adds to the list of stumbling blocks facing businesses as they try to qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program loans.
Small businesses have reported technical issues in trying to apply for the funds, which restarted Monday after the first round of funding ran out after just 13 days.
The program, run by the Small Business Administration, provides funds to cover eight weeks of payroll costs and the loans are forgiven if the employers keep workers on the job or quickly rehire laid-off workers.