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.
Olivia Zhao is a business and global affairs student at Georgetown University and a research assistant at the Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy, McDonough School of Business.
Trevor Chapman is a seasoned communications professional with expertise in media relations, public relations, and crisis management. As the former Director of External Communications at Farmers Insurance (2014–2023), he led high-profile strategies to shape the company's public image, including serving as a spokesperson during key business decisions. Trevor is passionate about helping organizations tell authentic stories, enhance reputation, and achieve measurable results through innovative communication solutions. Trevor holds a Journalism degree from California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Since 2018, Trevor has served on the Public Relations Advisory Council for the Journalism Department at CSUN, contributing his expertise to guide curriculum and support student development. (LinkedIn)
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.