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.
Mobile banking use has swelled since the pandemic hit, and law enforcement officials expect hackers to target the credentials of digital novices. The FBI stressed the importance of two-factor authentication and ensuring consumers know how to spot fake apps that carry malware.
Daphne Ricken is Senior Underwriter Liability at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty based in Germany. Ricken has been working for the Allianz Group since 1991 in various roles and in industrial insurance for more than 19 years. From 2009 to 2013, she was an Executive Underwriter in the US Casualty Department in Chicago.
The Volunteer State reported a nearly 16% decline in revenues in April, much of which was due to stay-at-home orders and delayed tax filings.
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.