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 CAA permits certain smaller businesses who received a PPP loan to take out a “PPP Second Draw Loan” of up to $2 million. To qualify, you must:
Eligible entities include for-profit businesses (including those owned by sole proprietors), certain nonprofit organizations, housing cooperatives, veterans’ organizations, tribal businesses, self-employed individuals, independent contractors and small agricultural co-operatives.
Loan terms. Borrowers may receive a PPP Second Draw Loan of up to 2.5 times the average monthly payroll costs in the year preceding the loan or the calendar year.
However, borrowers in the hospitality or food services industries may receive PPP Second Draw Loans of up to 3.5 times average monthly payroll costs. Only a single PPP Second Draw Loan is permitted to an eligible entity.
Gross receipts and simplified certification of revenue test. PPP Second Draw Loans of no more than $150,000 may submit a certification, on or before the date the loan forgiveness application is submitted, attesting that the eligible entity meets the applicable revenue loss requirement.
Nonprofits and veterans’ organizations may use gross receipts to calculate their revenue loss standard.
Loan forgiveness. Like the first PPP loan, a PPP Second Draw Loan may be forgiven for payroll costs of up to 60% (with some exceptions) and nonpayroll costs such as rent, mortgage interest and utilities of 40%. Forgiveness of the loans isn’t included in income as cancellation of indebtedness income.
Application of exemption based on employee availability. The CAA extends current safe harbors on restoring full-time employees and salaries and wages. Specifically, it applies the rule of reducing loan forgiveness for a borrower reducing the number of employees retained and reducing employees’ salaries in excess of 25%.
Deductibility of expenses paid by PPP loans. The CARES Act didn’t address whether expenses paid with the proceeds of PPP loans could be deducted. The IRS eventually took the position that these expenses were nondeductible. The CAA, however, provides that expenses paid both from the proceeds of loans under the original PPP and PPP Second Draw Loans are deductible.
Contact David Mills, CPA, LLC with any questions you might have about PPP loans, including applying for a Second Draw Loan or availing yourself of forgiveness.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 is expected to be signed by President Trump today. There are key provisions for both individuals and businesses.
This is a 5,600-page document so it will take some time to provide all the details but the following is what has been released so far:
For Individuals: The full credit is $600 per individual, $1,200 per couple, and $600 for children. Children 17 and older are not eligible for the credit. There are income limits as in the first round of payments.
Payments are expected to start early next week. If you have not received the first payment or it was incorrect, you will be able to receive this on your 2020 tax return filing.
If you do not receive the second payment or it is an incorrect amount, you can claim this on your 2020 tax filing. For example, if a family has a child born in 2020 the additional $600 will not be included in the next round of payments. This amount will be claimed as a credit when filing the 2020 tax return.
Unemployment assistance is extended by 16 weeks. Supplemental federal unemployment benefits will continue to April 2021 instead of ending in December. The current CDC eviction moratorium will be extended until January 31, 2021.
For Businesses: Business expenses paid for with PPP proceeds are tax-deductible and the funds are not income. This will be the same rule for the second round of PPP funds.
There will be a second round of PPP funding (PPP2) to both first-time borrowers and those who have received a previous loan.
Previous PPP recipients may apply if:
PPP2 first time borrowers include:
Borrowers that returned all or part of a previous PPP loan can reapply for the maximum amount available to them. As with the first round of PPP, you will apply through your bank for funds.
More details will follow as they’re available. If you have any questions, contact us at David Mills, CPA, LLC.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) established by the U.S. Government as part of the CARES Act is designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For businesses who are part of the Paycheck Protection Program, there are a few tips and guidelines to know and understand:
For more information, contact the experts at David Mills, CPA, LLC.
The recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides a refundable payroll tax credit for 50% of wages paid by eligible employers to certain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The employee retention credit is available to employers, including nonprofit organizations, with operations that have been fully or partially suspended as a result of a government order limiting commerce, travel or group meetings.
The credit is also provided to employers who have experienced a greater than 50% reduction in quarterly receipts, measured on a year-over-year basis.
The credit is 50% of qualifying wages paid up to $10,000 in total. So the maximum credit for an eligible employer for qualified wages paid to any employee is $5,000. Wages paid after March 12, 2020, and before Jan. 1, 2021, are eligible for the credit. Therefore, an employer may be able to claim it for qualified wages paid as early as March 13, 2020. Wages aren’t limited to cash payments, but also include part of the cost of employer-provided health care.
The operation of a business is partially suspended if a government authority imposes restrictions by limiting commerce, travel or group meetings due to COVID-19 so that the business still continues but operates below its normal capacity.
Example: A state governor issues an executive order closing all restaurants and similar establishments to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, the order allows establishments to provide food or beverages through carry-out, drive-through or delivery.
This results in a partial suspension of businesses that provided sit-down service or other on-site eating facilities for customers prior to the executive order.
No. The CARES Act doesn’t require employers to pay qualified wages.
No. Government employers aren’t eligible for the employee retention credit. Self-employed individuals also aren’t eligible for the credit for self-employment services or earnings.
Yes, but not for the same wages. The amount of qualified wages for which an employer can claim the employee retention credit doesn’t include the amount of qualified sick and family leave wages for which the employer received tax credits under the FFCRA.
No. An employer can’t receive the employee retention credit if it receives a Small Business Interruption Loan under the Paycheck Protection Program, which is authorized under the CARES Act. So an employer that receives a Paycheck Protection loan shouldn’t claim the employee retention credit.
For small businesses, the most attractive program built into the CARES Act (the federal coronavirus relief package) is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
PPP is funded to the tune of $349 billion through the Small Business Administration (SBA).
However, the program differs in significant ways from the currently available Economic Injury Disaster Program.
First, businesses will apply through individual banks, not the SBA itself.
Second, while technically a loan program, a portion — and potentially all — of the loan can be forgiven, making it act more like a grant.
Eligibility – For-profit businesses with fewer than 500 employees (including hotels and food service businesses that have fewer than 500 employees per location); 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations; veterans organizations; eligible self-employed individuals; independent contractors; sole proprietorships
Loan amount – The maximum loan size is equivalent to 250% of the employer’s average monthly payroll costs, not to exceed $10 million. Payroll costs are defined broadly to include wages, salaries, retirement contributions, healthcare benefits, covered leave, and other expenses. Put another way, the size of the loan is equal to the cost of payroll for about 10 weeks.
Loan terms – Up to 10 years at 4% with the ability to defer principal and interest payment for between 6 and 12 months. There are no fees, no requirement to secure the debt with collateral, no requirement of a personal guarantee, and no penalty for early payoff.
Loan forgiveness – A portion of the loan (up to 100%) will be forgiven in an amount equal to how much the business actually paid for payroll costs, salaries, benefits, rent, utilities and mortgage interest during the eight weeks following the loan’s disbursement. If employees are laid off or their salaries are reduced there could be a reduction in the amount forgiven. Borrowers will need to apply through their lender for this forgiveness and provide documentation for all costs. Banks will have 60 days to make the determination.
This information provided by the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council.
It’s very important that you contact your banker directly to apply for this program.
With the events of the last few days (closing of schools and extending the stay-at-home order until April 30th) it’s clear the COVID-19 virus threat is greater than expected.
To protect you and our staff at David Mills CPA, LLC, effective April 2, 2020, we will no longer be meeting with clients until the stay-at-home order is lifted. Our doors will be locked, and reception areas will be closed to walk-ins.
Our staff is still providing all the services we normally do. We continue to prepare tax returns, bookkeeping and payroll services.
For payroll clients: We will contact you about payroll delivery. This is a good time to consider direct deposit for employees. We’ll keep you updated on events as they happen.
Thank you for your understanding and patience during these unprecedented times.
On payday, your employees expect their paychecks to be correct. Errors or oversights on a paycheck can anger and unnecessarily stress an employee. Save the hassle and outsource your payroll.
Ensuring your employee payroll is accurate is vitally important, yet for many small business owners in the Peoria and Central Illinois area, the process is laborious, stressful and never-ending.
When you outsource payroll responsibilities to the experts at David Mills CPA LLC, you get more time to concentrate on your core business. You will have peace of mind knowing your payroll operations are being handled correctly and professionally.
Pay period follows pay period. Accurately completing your company’s payroll requires time and attention.
By outsourcing payroll responsibilities, you can be assured that all special deductions, such as wage garnishments, savings, and health deductions are properly calculated.
Do you know the updated payroll regulations for 2020? With outsourced payroll services, the experts at David Mills CPA LLC ensure your firm is compliant with all current payroll laws.
At David Mills CPA LLC, payroll tax deposits are electronically filed and quarterly payroll tax forms are prepared and filed. They also complete year-end W-2 and 1099 forms as well as worker’s comp audits and any requests for payroll information.
Hiring experts to complete your company’s payroll helps avoid IRS mistakes and penalties.
When you work with David Mills CPA LLC, you are able to establish a direct deposit option for your employees. Direct deposit saves employees a trip to the bank to cash their paycheck and has become a convenience employees expect.
Outsourcing your payroll eliminates the need to train or cross-train employees to handle payroll. When payroll is handled in-house, a burden is placed on the company every time the person responsible for payroll goes on vacation, takes a leave of absence or quits the company.
When the payroll employee leaves or retires, they walk out with valuable knowledge that can be hard to regain.
Outsourcing your payroll responsibilities means a knowledgeable team is in place to seamlessly handle your company’s needs.
Contact the professionals at David Mills CPA LLC today to see how their payroll service can meet the needs of your business. David Mills CPA LLC has offices in both Morton and East Peoria.
QuickBooks is a popular tool for businesses to use for payroll, receivables, payables, and inventory. It may be an “easy” tool, but that does not mean that learning that tool is easy. You want to get as much out of your service as possible, and that’s where we come in. We are a QuickBooks Pro Advisor, so we have the skills, knowledge, and experience to teach you how to successfully utilize QuickBooks for your business. We are available to install QuickBooks, train your team, and offer support when necessary.
We offer installation services for QuickBooks. It may sound silly for someone else to install your program, but trust us, there’s more to QuickBooks than meets the eye. For example, we can help you by:
Once QuickBooks is installed, we are also there to walk your team through training. We use your business’ actual data, not generic data, so your team will be familiar with your business’ values. We come to your location for training, so there’s no need to travel. You also don’t need to worry about your team reaching information overload. We train in short sessions; about 2-3 hours. We’re happy to provide any answers we can to your questions and give any information we can on how QuickBooks best suits you and your business. Best of all, we provide support by phone, as well as on-site. For training questions, we can remotely log in to your computer to show you step-by-step the answer to your problem. Contact us today for QuickBooks installation, training, and support.
Exciting news! David Mills CPA has officially opened our East Peoria location. We can provide your business with accounting and financial services. Our office is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM.
In order to best serve our customers, we offer a wide variety of services. We can assist your business with the financial aspects so you can focus on what is most important to you. A list of our services include:
Our East Peoria location is now booking appointments. For all of your financial needs, contact David Mills CPA today. We look forward to working with you and serving our customers in East Peoria.
Are you a small business owner who is handling payroll processing yourself? Payroll may seem like something that you can operate on your own. However, there are many demands that come along with handling payroll. Some demands include keeping up to date with payroll laws, tax deposit rules, and filing state and federal mandated forms on time so you are not penalized for missing a deadline. Outsourcing payroll not only takes care of all of these functions but allows the business owner to focus on aspects of the business that directly affect its future. Outsourcing payroll provides several benefits.
1. It saves you time.Operating payroll services requires a lot of time that many small businesses do not have. From entering data to researching new laws or updates, the amount of time that payroll takes up is not desirable to many business owners. Outsourcing the service allows you and your employees to offer their full attention to the direct needs of the business.
Outsourcing payroll prevents your business from having to hire someone that is specialized in this particular service. This reduces the cost of overhead. Second, a company can also save money by saving time. Employees need to be paid for their hours of work. By hiring an affordable full-service provider, this can be avoided.
Payroll is a complex and risky business operation. It can be difficult if you do not have an expert in this field who is handling tasks. Federal, state, and local payroll tax laws are becoming more and more detailed. Without having the time to research, learn and apply these updates, you run the risk of calculating or filing your payroll taxes incorrectly or late. By outsourcing payroll, you never have to worry about these issues again.
4. You eliminate security risks.Security risks can be a problem. Companies can run the risk of an employee tampering company records, embezzlement of funds, or identity theft. Even with the most trusted employees, business owners should be cautious. In-house payroll software is also something you need to be careful with and do your research to see how secure your payroll data really is. Choosing to outsource payroll with a reputable company can make you feel assured that your confidential payroll data is secure at all times. This is a huge part of the service provided to clients.
Payroll operations can be a difficult subject to learn and understand. Receiving payroll reports tailored to your specific company is a huge benefit when considering outsourcing. An outsourced payroll company can help explain data in a way you will understand. Consider hiring a full-service company who prepares union reports and others as needed.
It is important to make sure you are hiring a company who can also provide online payroll processing. Online payroll processing allows your employees will have 24/7 access to their information such as current payroll stubs or last year’s W-2 forms. Employees are able to request changes to their withholdings, etc., without having to take any time away from running your business.
Outsourcing companies can take care of any reporting issues that come about. Some examples include child support audits, Worker’s Comp audits, 1099 processing, W-2, and Wp3 processing, preparation of federal and state registration forms, or any other issues that may arise, the full-service company will be able to take care of it for you. Also, this will save your business additional time and energy.
8. The expertise of hiring the professionals.Hiring professionals who have expertise in payroll will put your mind at ease. You can feel confident knowing that they will take care of every last detail with payroll processing. Operating payroll can create complexities that only take your time and money. This ultimately hinders the business itself. A professional company will take over payroll tasks.
If you are considering outsourcing payroll, consider all of the benefits that come along with it. Some benefits include saving time and money, securing your data, and allowing you to no longer worry about handling payroll functions and all of the complexities that come along with them. David Mills CPA, LLC provides expert accounting and financial services to both small and medium businesses, as well as to individuals. Our CPAs can assist you with a multitude of accounting services in Peoria, IL, Morton, IL, and the rest of Central Illinois. If you are interested in payroll services or any other financial services, you can contact us here.