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.
Laura Asendio has more than eight years of experience successfully developing, implementing and managing public relations and marketing campaigns for a variety of high-tech and B2B companies. She has executed integrated communication plans and has written bylined articles and blogs for clients on various topics, including cybersecurity, cloud computing, the Internet of Things and manufacturing. In addition to elevating the brand and messaging for her clients, Laura has extensive experience securing high-profile media coverage that increasing overall company awareness.
Scott Buchholz is a managing director with Deloitte Consulting LLP. He serves as the government and public services chief technology officer and emerging technologies research director for the Office of chief technology officer.
Robert Sullivan is a partner in Alston & Bird's finance group, and is based in Charlotte, N.C.
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.