As the tumultuous year of 2020 comes to an end, many small business owners are left wondering what their tax returns will look like. The unpredictable economic damage caused by the COVID-19 led to the passing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Through the Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, this act allotted up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for payroll assistance and certain other expenses. If your business applied for a PPP loan, you may be wondering about the tax implications.
While loan forgiveness was promised for PPP loans (if at least 60% was used to cover payroll), expenses paid with forgiven PPP loan proceeds are not deductible. That means that expenses that are typically deductible, like utilities and rent, will not be deductible if you used the loan funds to cover them.
Understanding the Treasure Valley tax implications of PPP loans is a complex issue. Many businesses are still waiting on a response to whether their loans will be forgiven or not and some may not have this answer by the time taxes are due.
PPP loan forgiveness is possible if loan proceeds were used to cover the following expenses:
- Payroll costs and employee retention
- Interest payments on covered mortgage obligations
- Payments for covered rent obligations
- (Under this covered expense, "lease agreements for real or personal property" is included, which covers equipment and vehicles.)
- Certain utility payments
If you are trying to manage PPP loan expenses as you prepare your taxes, Paramount Tax is the accountantbookkeeper in Treasure Valley that you can rely on..
PPP Loan Tax Assistance in Treasure Valley
Economic shocks are hard to navigate and the implications of this past year are no different. Trying to understand how the PPP loan will affect your taxes is much more difficult on your own. Our talented team of professional CPAs and tax preparers are here to help. From the 2018 Tax Plan to Stimulus Checks and now PPP loans, our accountantsbookkeepers have worked around the clock to ensure our clients receive accurate assistance and credible information. Taxes are already overwhelming; you can expect this year's filing to be doubly frustrating. With help from our expert tax preparers in Treasure Valley, however, you can rest assured that your taxes will be filed accurately.