IRS Guidance: Coronavirus-Related Distributions and RMD Rollovers

The CARES Act was enacted in an attempt to mitigate the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other things, it extends favorable tax treatment to qualified individuals who take so-called “coronavirus-related distributions” (CRDs) from IRAs, 401(k) plans and certain other retirement plans. Specifically, the CARES Act waives the 10% early distribution penalty for CRDs … Read more

IRS releases 2021 amounts for Health Savings Accounts

The IRS recently released the 2021 inflation-adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSA basics An HSA is a trust created or organized exclusively for the purpose of paying the “qualified medical expenses” of an “account beneficiary.” An HSA can only be established for the benefit of an “eligible individual” who is covered under a … Read more

IRS clarifies the deductibility of PPP-funded expenses

The IRS has issued new guidance addressing a question that has lingered since the launch of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — whether expenses paid for with forgiven, tax-free PPP loan proceeds are deductible business expenses under Section 162 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The guidance in IRS Notice 2020-32 doesn’t provide the answer … Read more

Business Charitable Contribution Rules – CARES Act Changes

In light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many businesses are interested in donating to charity. In order to incentivize charitable giving, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act made some liberalizations to the rules governing charitable deductions. Here are two changes that affect businesses: The limit on charitable deductions for corporations has … Read more

Charitable giving during the COVID-19 crisis

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic fallout is dealing a crushing blow to charitable organizations. Indeed, during a time when food banks, disaster relief and other nonprofit services are needed most by the public, their funding is suffering due to cancelled fundraising events and other factors. If philanthropy is an important part … Read more

Employer tax deferrals and PPP loans

by Lucas Rihely, CPA, Partner The CARES Act provided employers an opportunity to defer payment of its 6.2% employer Social Security taxes on wages paid to employees during 2020. However, the Act provided that employers who had a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiven would be ineligible to participate in the deferral. On Friday, April … Read more