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.
Atul Tandon serves as CEO of Opportunity International, a Chicago-based international NGO that designs, delivers and scales innovative financial solutions to help families living in poverty build sustainable livelihoods. The NGO reached over 18 million people last year, supporting individuals and families experiencing extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, as well as Central and South America. As a global executive for Citibank, Tandon pioneered personal banking solutions in India and grew Citi's global consumer networks to more than 146 million accounts with a presence in over 100 countries.
Rafael Bernard, CFP, MSFP, is an alumnus of Kansas State's financial therapy program and Bentley University's financial planning program.
He has experience researching financial literacy, designing financial therapy-driven client activities, and leveraging experiential learning to build financial wellness curricula.
Brandon Ellison is the founder and CEO of Quility. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama in 2000. Following graduation, he pursued work as a musician in Crested Butte, Colorado. In 2001, upon moving to Asheville, North Carolina, he acquired his insurance license and established a career as a life insurance agent. In 2002, Mr. Ellison met Casey Watkins while they were working as agents for the same company; the two established a friendship as well as a healthy rivalry that drove them both to grow into two of the top managers in that company.
Through their experience as insurance agents, they recognized an opportunity to elevate the industry's business model by reshaping the relationship between agents and their respectful uplines. Founded in their belief that what benefits individuals will ultimately benefit the whole, they envisioned a model in which the wellbeing, growth and financial success of agents would take the forefront. They launched Symmetry Financial Group in 2009 to translate their vision into reality, and in the 12 years since have transformed Symmetry into the modernization of the new company, Quility, with a revenue hitting over $70 million.
Ellison still enjoys playing the guitar. He also loves long hikes in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife, Meredith. They have three children, Addie Ruth, Levi and Woods, that keep their home and calendars full and abundant.
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.