The COVID-19 pandemic has upended lives across the country as officials struggle to curb its spread. As cities and states have put restrictions in place to slow infections, businesses of all kinds have felt the financial squeeze.
Certified public accountants have helped guide their clients through this troubling time as they try to navigate the sudden financial strain the pandemic has brought. The CARES Act provided some relief for businesses, dispersing more than $525 billion through the Paycheck Protection Program. As the time comes for businesses to apply for PPP loan forgiveness, CPAs can provide vital assistance to ensure success for their clients. Here are some things to keep in mind while helping clients with PPP loan forgiveness.
Do your clients qualify?
Your client was able to secure a PPP loan early on in the pandemic that helped them stay afloat. But, are they eligible for loan forgiveness now? This is an important question that business owners are counting on their accountant to make clear for them. CPAs need to keep their clients informed of the requirements throughout the loan process to ensure they qualify for full forgiveness. Keeping the right number of employees on the payroll and avoiding big payouts are important factors that will affect a business’s qualification for forgiveness. A CPA can help clients meet this and other requirements before submitting their application.
Completing forgiveness applications
It’s no surprise that PPP loans can be confusing, especially for business owners dealing with a mountain of stress just trying to keep food on the table for themselves and their employees. Having a good CPA on their side is an invaluable aid for business owners during these difficult times.
Jennifer King is Vice President – Customer Experience Service and Quality and Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company.
King oversees Customer Experience Service (which includes Reconciliation, Control & Reporting and Policy Holder Administration), Quality, Change Management, Implementation, and the EPMO areas in the company's Customer Experience, Innovation, Projects and Technology Strategic Business Center. She is responsible for the teams that facilitate the policyholder customer journey, and supports the strategic alignment of the EPMO with the voice of the customers and the company's needs. As leader of the EPMO, Policy Holder Administration, and Quality Center teams, she aligns project and operations resources to optimize customer and employee experience. Ms. King also serves as the Business Sponsor for BML Forward, the new policy administration system in development at Boston Mutual Life.
Ms. King joined Boston Mutual Life in 2020 as Director – Strategic Project Management Office. She was appointed to lead the new Policyholder Administration and Quality Center teams in 2022 after being promoted to Vice President – EPMO in 2021, which were renamed under the banner of Customer Experience and Quality in early 2023.
Prior to joining Boston Mutual Life, Ms. King holds 20 years of experience in project and program management within the financial services industry. Previously, she served as Finance & Risk Infrastructure & Business Solutions (FRIBS) Program Manager, Corporate Finance Vice President at State Street Bank, and held several positions during her tenure at the company from when she joined in 2007. Prior to State Street Bank, she worked at Investors Bank and Trust, where she began her career in 1996.
Shai Gabay is CEO and co-founder of Trustmi.
Daniel Wheeler is president of The Fintech Lawyer, where he represents banks, fintechs and crypto startups.
Keeping track of expenses and documentation after the loan is received and getting the correct paperwork put together for the forgiveness application is essential. Make sure clients meet deadlines, turn in the correct forms, and stay in touch with their lender throughout the application process. Give clients the confidence that their application is thorough and accurate to give them the best chance of their loan being fully forgiven.
Staying on top of changes
Of course, the confusion that has occurred with the Paycheck Protection Program doesn’t belong just to borrowers. Some CPAs may find they have a few questions along the way as well. Lawmakers hurried to get financial assistance to cash-strapped businesses when COVID-19 shut down the country; there were bound to be a few snags and revisions to the program. The federal government has put out notices and questions and answers to clear up issues along the way, and changes have been made to the program as the pandemic raged on through the year. It’s up to CPAs to stay apprised of these changes and updates to FAQs so they can properly assist clients. There are still more questions to be answered, including tax issues, so this is a continual process.
CPAs can provide valuable assistance to their clients who are doing their best to stay in business in the midst of a pandemic. Stay informed about the PPP loan forgiveness process and give clients a reliable adviser in their corner to guide them through the process.
