I f you’re a sole proprietor, independent contractor or owner of a very small business, now’s your time to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Thanks to a temporary rule change by the Biden Administration, the SBA will ONLY accept applications for PPP loans from firms with fewer than 20 employees during a 2-week priority window: February 24 through March 10, 2021.
While the typical PPP loan is determined by multiplying average monthly payroll costs by 2.5, the updated formula will use gross income instead of payroll costs or net income, meaning you may be eligible for a bigger — forgivable — loan amount.
98% of small businesses employ fewer than 20 people, but have received only 45% of PPP so far, according to the SBA.
Also Keep in Mind
1) You can apply for either a first or second PPP loan. To qualify for a second loan, you must have spent or plan to spend all of your first loan, and show you had a 25% or more drop in revenue in any quarter of 2020.
2) The new rules also eliminate some restrictions on small business owners:
- with prior non-fraud felony convictions;
- struggling with student loan debt delinquency; and
- who are non-citizen, U.S. residents with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN).
Apply Now!
The window on this special program for extra small businesses closes March 10, so hurry and apply soon if you’re interested. Note that other types of businesses can also still apply for a PPP loan before the program expires on March 31, 2021.
Personal Tax Return Paperwork Due March 26
If you have not yet provided us with the documents to complete your individual income tax returns, please do so no later than March 26. If you will not have them ready by then, let us know if you want us to file an extension for you. To help you prepare your files, please download a copy of our 2020 Personal Tax Preparation Checklist.
Support Your Local Restaurant
The last COVID relief law passed temporarily allows a 100% business expense deduction for meals as long as the expense is for food or beverages provided by a restaurant. The previous deduction was limited to 50%. This provision is effective for expenses incurred from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2022.