New Guidance Released on Deductibility of Expenses Paid with PPP Funds

Nov 19, 2020

Yesterday, the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released guidance clarifying the deductibility of expenses paid with paycheck protection program (PPP) loan funds.

The two significant rulings can be found here: Revenue Ruling 2020-27 and Revenue Procedure 2020-51. Both address issues related to the deductibility of expenses paid with PPP funds.

What is the significance of the new guidance?
Previously, it was unclear what would happen if a taxpayer incurred the expenses in one year (2020), but received forgiveness in the next year (2021).

Rev. Rul. 2020-27 states if a business reasonably believes a PPP loan will be forgiven in the future, expenses related to the loan are not deductible, whether the business has filed for forgiveness or not. Meaning, if you used all of your PPP funds in 2020 and expect to receive full forgiveness, those expenses are not deductible, regardless of whether or not you have applied for or have received forgiveness notification as of the end of 2020.

What happens if loan forgiveness is partially or fully denied in 2021 after one has filed their 2020 return?
Revenue Procedure 2020-51 establishes a safe harbor for taxpayers whose loan forgiveness applications are partially or fully denied, or who decide not to apply for forgiveness after filing their 2020 tax return.

While these expenses may ultimately become deductible with a future act of Congress, we encourage you to connect with your William Vaughan Company advisor to assist you in determining the best path forward for you and your business.

Need further PPP guidance? Check out our COVID-19 Resource Center.

Categories: COVID-19, Other Resources, Tax Planning


Additional PPP Loan Guidance Issued

Oct 12, 2020

The last week-and-a-half saw a flurry of new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) guidance. Here is an update on what changes were made:

A Streamlined process for loans of $50,000 or less

While this change does not go as far as was originally proposed – providing automatic forgiveness for loans up to $150,000 – it will still help a significant number of Borrowers. A new forgiveness application, Form 3508S, has been released for loans of $50,000 or less.

While forgiveness is still not automatic for these Borrowers, the confusing and administratively burdensome portions have been removed. These Borrowers do not need to compute or reduce their forgiveness amount by 1.) reductions in compensation or 2.) full-time equivalent employees. The result? Borrowers of loans of $50,000 or less will not be penalized for any reductions in wages or employees.

For those who are keeping track, there are now three different application forms for forgiveness:

  • Form 3508 – Standard form for those who do not meet criteria for one of the other forms (form instructions here)
  • Form 3508EZ – Can be used for loans of any size where there is no reduction in wages or full-time equivalent employees (with certain exceptions) (Form instructions here)
  • Form 3508S – For all loans $50,000 and under regardless of any reductions in wages or full-time equivalent employees (form instructions here)

PPP and sales of businesses

Guidance related to the requirements of Borrowers who are selling their business or business assets was also released. For most cases of sales of businesses or business assets, the Borrower will need to complete the following before the closing of the sale:

  • Notify their PPP lender of the planned transaction and provide copies of the proposed agreements
  • Submit their forgiveness application along with all required supporting documentation
  • Deposit funds in the amount of outstanding PPP loan balance into an escrow account with their PPP lender

Also, in certain cases, the SBA must approve the proposed transaction before it is executed.

10-month deferral period

When the PPP was created, payments on the loan were deferred for six months. This deferral period was later extended to 10 months from the end of the Borrower’s covered period. The latest guidance clarifies that loan documents executed prior to the extension to the 10-month deferral are automatically modified to the 10-month deferral and do not need to be re-written and re-signed.

What changes might still be coming to the PPP?

We could still see a change with respect to the tax-deductibility of expenses related to forgiveness. Currently, such expenses are not tax-deductible, and therefore create a taxable event.

There continues to be support for a second PPP. Most recently, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell commented on the need for additional support for small businesses. A second round of stimulus would likely be much more targeted.

If you have questions about how these new changes may impact your business, please reach out to your WVC Advisor or our WVC PPP Loan Task Force leader, Kate Matz at kate.matz@wvco.com or 419.891.1040.

Categories: COVID-19, Other Resources