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.
Tom McFarland leads Novidea's UK product roadmap and business analysis function. Through his industry expertise, close relationship with existing clients and engagement with prospects, Tom ensures the delivery and ongoing enhancement of Novidea's platform provides added value to brokers and MGAs. Tom holds strong partnerships within the insurtech community, enabling practitioners to benefit from a connected insurance ecosystem. Having spent time in operations roles within Specialty Broking and Delegated Authority, Tom's comprehensive understanding of the challenges at each stage of the insurance value chain ensures that the Novidea platform solves the challenges of today and prevents the problems of tomorrow. Tom is keen to drive transformation across the industry, particularly within the Specialty and Lloyd's markets, where there is enormous opportunity for technological modernisation and adoption.
Theo Ellis is CEO and co-founder of mortgage technology company Friday Harbor.
Omuso D. George is president and CEO of the Association of Military Banks of America. He is a retired U.S. Army brigadier general.
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.