Business

More information on the ‘Paycheck Protection Program’

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently prepared a guide detailing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program.

The CARES Act allocated $350 billion to help small businesses keep workers employed amid the pandemic and economic downturn. Known as the Paycheck Protection Program, the initiative provides 100% federally guaranteed loans to small businesses who maintain their payroll during this emergency.

These loans may be forgiven if borrowers maintain their payrolls during the crisis or restore their payrolls afterward.

ELIGIBILITY

Those eligible include:

•A small business with fewer than 500 employees.

•A small business that otherwise meets the SBA’s size standard.

•A 501©(3) with fewer than 500 employees.

•An individual who operates as a sole proprietor.

•An individual who operates as an independent contractor.

•An individual who is self-employed who regularly carries on any trade or business.

•A Tribal business concern that meets the SBA size standard.

•A 501©(19) Veterans Organization that meets the SBA size standard.

In addition, some special eligibility rules include:

•If you are in the accommodation and food services sector (NAICS 72), the 500-employee rule is applied on a per physical location basis.

•If you are operating as a franchise or receive financial assistance from an approved Small Business Investment Company the normal affiliation rules do not apply.

In evaluating eligibility, lenders are directed to consider whether the borrower was in operation before Feb. 15, 2020, and had employees for whom they paid salaries and payroll taxes or paid independent contractors.

EVALUATING ELIGIBILITY

Lenders will also ask for a good faith certification that:

•The uncertainty of current economic conditions makes the loan request necessary to support ongoing operations.

•The borrower will use the loan proceeds to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage, lease, and utility payments.

•Borrower does not have an application pending for a loan duplicative of the purpose and amounts applied for here.

•From Feb. 15-Dec. 31, 2020, the borrower has not received a loan duplicative of the purpose and amounts applied for here (There is an opportunity to fold emergency loans made between Jan. 31, 2020, and the date this loan program becomes available into a new loan).

If you are an independent contractor, sole proprietor, or self-employed individual, lenders will also be looking for certain documents (final requirements will be announced by the government) such as payroll tax filings, Forms 1099-MISC, and income and expenses from the sole proprietorship.

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HOW MUCH CAN BE BORROWED?

Loans can be up to 2.5 times the borrower’s average monthly payroll costs, not to exceed $10 million. The average monthly payroll costs are figured as the difference between the sum of included payroll costs and excluded payroll costs.

For employers, included payroll costs are the sum of payments of any compensation with respect to employees that is a: salary, wage, commission, or similar compensation; payment of cash tip or equivalent; payment for vacation, parental, family, medical, or sick leave; allowance for dismissal or separation; payment required for the provisions of group health care benefits, including insurance premiums; payment of any retirement benefit; or payment of state or local tax assessed on the compensation of the employee.

For sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals, included costs are the sum of payments of any compensation to or income of a sole proprietor or independent contractor that is a wage, commission, income, net earnings from self-employment, or similar compensation and that is in an amount that is not more than $100,000 in one year, as pro-rated for the covered period.

Excluded payroll costs include: compensation of an individual employee in excess of an annual salary of $100,000, as prorated for the period February 15, to June 30, 2020; payroll taxes, railroad retirement taxes, and income taxes; any compensation of an employee whose principal place of residence is outside of the United States; and qualified sick leave wages for which a credit is allowed under section 7001 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, or qualified family leave wages for which a credit is allowed under section 7003 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

WILL THE LOAN BE FORGIVEN?

A borrower is eligible for loan forgiveness equal to the amount the borrower spent on the following items during the eight-week period beginning on the date of the origination of the loan:

•Payroll costs (using the same definition of payroll costs used to determine loan eligibility).

•Interest on the mortgage obligation incurred in the ordinary course of business• Rent on a leasing agreement.

•Payments on utilities (electricity, gas, water, transportation, telephone, or internet).

•For borrowers with tipped employees, additional wages paid to those employees.

The loan forgiveness cannot exceed the principal.

The amount of loan forgiveness calculated above is reduced if there is a reduction in the number of employees or a reduction of greater than 25% in wages paid to employees.

Reductions in employment or wages that occur during the period beginning on Feb. 15, 2020, and ending 30 days after enactment of the CARES Act, (as compared to Feb. 15, 2020) shall not reduce the amount of loan forgiveness if by June 30, 2020, the borrower eliminates the reduction in employees or reduction in wages.

Online:

www.sba.gov

(Information courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.)