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.
Kim Silva has more than 25 years of combined accounting and teaching experience. In addition to her undergraduate degree in accounting, she has a MS in financial crime and compliance management, and is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in management. She recently founded Essential Business Education, and currently is a visiting assistant professor of practice in accounting at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Reach her at hello@essentialbusinessedu.com or via LinkedIn.
Priya Krishnan, chief digital, and transformation officer at Bright Horizons has a storied background as an entrepreneur who founded India's leading child care and schooling service provider with more than 150 company-owned, company-operated centers across the country. At Bright Horizons, she leads all client relationships for the US, International M&A, and innovation projects. Priya joined the Bright Horizons family after founding and running KLAY, a high-quality childcare organization, which has grown to become India's largest childcare company.
Michal Katz is head of investment & corporate banking at Mizuho Americas.
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.