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TAX PITFALL TO AVOID: WASH SALES

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By: Ryan J. Wisniewski

When selling and purchasing stocks or other securities, it is important that taxpayers keep in mind Wash Sale Rules per Internal Revenue Code Section 1091.  Wash Sale Rules exist to discourage taxpayers from selling securities at a loss simply for the tax benefit.

A taxpayer cannot sell a security at a loss, and then turn around and repurchase that same, or substantially identical, security within 30 days, before or after the sale date.  If this occurs, the loss will be disallowed, and will instead be added to the cost basis of the new security purchased.  There will be no tax benefit to the taxpayer until a subsequent sale of that security in the future, assuming that the Wash Sale Rules are not again triggered.  That newly purchased security will take the holding period of the prior security that was sold for determination of future short-term or long-term capital gain/loss treatment.  (Note: Wash Sale Rules do not affect those that are in the business as a dealer in securities.)

Your broker will provide you with a Form 1099-B to assist in preparing your personal income tax returns for the year.  That form will typically report disallowed losses generated during the year due to Wash Sale Rules.  However, it is important to note that selling ABC Stock for a loss in one brokerage account, and then repurchasing ABC Stock within 30 days from a different brokerage account, will still trigger a Wash Sale, except this time you will need to manually keep track of this information.

If you would like to generate tax losses from the sale of securities in a particular year (also known as “tax loss harvesting”), but still maintain substantially the same level of involvement in the securities market, you can simply sell your security and immediately purchase a “similar”, but not “substantially identical” security (typically involves securities in the same corporation).  An example of this practice could include selling stock in Pepsi for a loss, and then immediately purchasing stock in Coca-Cola.  This will not trigger Wash Sale Rule limitations but maintain similar level of involvement in the securities market.

Please consult your R+R tax advisor for more information.

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting and consulting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

Our mission is to operate as a financial services firm of outstanding quality. Our efforts are directed at serving our clients in the most efficient and responsive manner possible, delivering services that exceed the expectations of those we serve. The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Bresnan at 203.438.0161 or email.

Choosing The Right CPA Firm To Audit Your Employee Benefit Plan

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Employee benefit plan audit services are designed to protect the financial integrity and assets contained in your plan and provide valuable information to plan administrators—not to mention legal and financial advantages from an EBP audit.

If your organization needs an EBP audit, one of the most important decisions of your plan administrator is selecting a qualified, independent auditor to perform the audit.

Three Factors to Consider When Choosing a Benefit Plan Auditor
1. Plan auditor qualifications

Federal law requires an employee benefit plan auditor responsible for signing the audit report to be licensed or certified as a public accountant by a State regulatory authority.  In addition, the auditor must be independent and not have any financial interests in the plan or the plan sponsor.

2. Auditor experience and firm peer review results

One of the most common reasons for deficient audit reports is the failure of the auditor to perform tests in areas unique to benefit plans. The more training and experience an auditor has with employee benefit plan audits, the more familiar the auditor will be with specialized benefit plan auditing standards.  In addition, firms performing benefit plan audits should have the audits subjected to their triannual peer review and annual internal inspection process.  Peer review is an external inspection process performed by an external independent auditor.  Peer review examines the audit firm’s adherence to their quality controls standards including “tone at the top”, hiring process and compliance with regulations to include; continuing professional education, compliance with auditing standards and the application of generally accepted accounting principles.

3. Association memberships

The Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC) is a voluntary membership center of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to help audit firms meet the challenges of performing audits of employee benefit plans.  Being a member firm requires the audit firm to comply with a higher set of standards and practices specific to plan audits than non-member firms. In addition, the AICPA and EBPAQC requires its members to have their audit practice reviewed by internal and external qualified auditors.

Employee benefit plan audits have increasingly become the subject of examination by the DOL and IRS, so it is imperative to select a qualified employee benefit plan auditor.  For a full list of EBPAQC member firms, click here.

To ensure you have an experienced auditor, you may want to discuss their work with other employee benefit plan clients to ensure they are well versed in your plan type. Some key questions to ask when considering a benefit plan auditor are: 

  • Are you a CPA? 
  • How many employee benefit plan audits do you perform each year?
  • Are the auditors in your firm performing benefit plan audits required to have specialized employee benefit plan audit training? 
  • Are your benefit plan audits subjected to peer review?
  • What were the results of your most recent peer review? 
  • Are you a member firm of the AICPA’s Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center?

Choosing a benefit plan auditor can be overwhelming and the selection of an experienced and reliable auditor is very important. R+R can help you and your plan administrators comply with key ERISA, DOL and IRS requirements. Our audit experience includes single and multi-employer defined benefit, profit sharing, 401(k) and ESOP benefit plans. Contact Dan Harris for more information.

About Reynolds + Rowella

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting and consulting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

Our mission is to operate as a financial services firm of outstanding quality. Our efforts are directed at serving our clients in the most efficient and responsive manner possible, delivering services that exceed the expectations of those we serve. The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Bresnan at 203.438.0161 or email.

WFH Policy Assessment

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Earlier this year, employers were polled by Mercer, a global benefits consulting service, to give their preliminary thinking about flexible work arrangements in a post-pandemic environment. Their answers suggest that, in some cases, companies with employees working remotely have become more receptive to these arrangements.

Here are some quick survey highlights:
  • 68% of companies are now updating or creating new work-from-home policies. As reasons to expand flexible working arrangements, they cite employee engagement and productivity; enhanced employee value proposition; a more diverse workforce; and greater access to a larger talent pool.
  • 65% of employers anticipate that, post-Covid-19, between one-quarter and three-quarters of their employees will work remotely on a regular basis.
  • 67% of employers have seen the productivity of employees working remotely during the pandemic remain level and 27% have seen it increase.
Employee Sentiments

What about employees? Their sentiments were captured in a recent survey by market research firm, Morning Consult. Questions were directed only to employees whose jobs make it possible for them to work remotely. Roughly four out of five agreed with the statement, “I enjoy working from home.”

When asked about how many days a week they’d like to work from home once the Covid-19 pandemic is “under control,” one-third expressed a desire to work from home every day. Nearly one-quarter prefer three to four days per week. One in five would like one to two days working remotely.

What appeals most to those who prefer working from home at least several days a week is that there’s no time-wasting commute. Working from home also gives them more time to focus on their health. Other pluses mentioned include a higher general comfort level with the home office environment, greater family connections, and a perception that their work quality has improved while working remotely.

Not All Roses

Still, employees also point to some downsides. For example, they list the risk of work and personal lives merging, feeling disconnected from coworkers, and feeling isolated. It’s important to remember that surveys capture averages and provide a helpful starting point for thinking about issues. But your own workforce may not have the same attitudes as those captured in these recent surveys. One way to find out is to conduct your own poll. If you do, don’t give employees the impression that every wish they express for their work settings will be granted or that any policy changes will last forever.

Criteria for Policy Assessment

Before committing to a work-form-home policy establish clear criteria that will enable you to assess its efficacy. Criteria might include:

  • Employee productivity. It doesn’t necessarily need to increase, but you don’t want it to drop, either.
  • Employee satisfaction. If all or some employees eventually decide working from home isn’t as attractive as they thought it would be, you might want to amend your policy.
  • Supervision issues. In some cases,the job of front-line supervisors overseeing remote employees could become unduly challenging.
  • Esprit de corps. Team spirit and unit cohesion may not hold up with employees working remotely.
  • Liability concerns. You may be unable to manage risk, including cybersecurity concerns, with workers using less-secure home networks and connections. In-home work-related injuries could also become a problem.
  • Recruiting results. On the other hand, you may be able to attract hard-to-find skilled workers more easily if they can work from anywhere.
  • Cost. The shared cost of employee home office necessities such as ergonomic furniture and computer hardware could be higher than expected. But reduced office leasing and utilities expenses are likely to cut your costs significantly.

The good news is that you probably have gained enough experience during the pandemic to anticipate potential issues with a permanent work-from-home policy. Just keep in mind that there can be differences between pandemic-driven ad hoc solutions and formal policies.

\When employees don’t have to work from home, you enjoy more flexibility in structuring a remote-working policy. Matters to iron out include which employees are eligible, how many days they can work from home, what tech and other support you’ll provide, and scheduling procedures.

Word to the Wise

If your employees have been forced to work from home during the pandemic, you’ve enjoyed a unique opportunity to test a whole new approach to working. Permanent work-from-home potentially could save your business a lot of money and result in a happier, more productive workforce.

What’s Next

In preparing for rapid opportunities for growth, take the time to find the tools, resources, and HR experts to help create a solid plan for preparing your business to thrive on the other side of COVID-19. Our HR consulting team is here to help you. Contact Katie Hall to get started.

About Reynolds + Rowella

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting and consulting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

Our mission is to operate as a financial services firm of outstanding quality. Our efforts are directed at serving our clients in the most efficient and responsive manner possible, delivering services that exceed the expectations of those we serve. The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Bresnan at 203.438.0161 or email.

Reynolds + Rowella Welcomes New Tax Partner

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PRESS RELEASE

September 29, 2020 – Ridgefield CT — Reynolds + Rowella, a leading certified public accounting and business advisory firm in Fairfield County, is pleased to announce that Patrick Butler, CPA, has transitioned into the role of Tax Partner, effective October 1, 2020

“We will always seek to recognize the dedication of our team members and promote from within. In the 13 years that Patrick has been part of the team, he has consistently excelled in terms of service excellence, contribution to the firm’s growth, investment in people and expert knowledge,” said Scott Crane – Managing Partner. “We are very pleased to welcome Patrick into the Partnership and look forward to the future.”

“I am thrilled to become partner at such an outstanding firm. We share a commitment to provide every client with sound advice and outstanding personal service. I look forward to the hard work and am excited to assume more responsibility through the advancement of the practice,” said Mr. Butler.

With nearly three decades of public accounting and fiduciary trust practice, Patrick manages a diverse array of tax clients ranging from high wealth individuals, trusts and estates, partnerships, and corporations. His extensive knowledge includes tax compliance and planning for high-net worth individuals, partnerships, corporations, trusts and estates; tax and consulting services for small and mid-sized businesses; mergers and acquisitions; business succession planning; and federal and state compliance. While tax compliance is important, Patrick believes that a proactive approach to tax planning is essential. Patrick is passionate about tax planning and optimization and actively partners with business owners to identify tax strategies, planning opportunities, and compliance solutions.

As partner at Reynolds + Rowella, Patrick advises high net worth individuals, as well as small to mid-size businesses and their owners on financial and tax matters. He assists businesses and their owners with financial analysis and guidance on profitability and regulatory compliance. Patrick serves clients in a variety of industries including, financial service firms, real estate and constructions companies, and non-profits.

Mr. Butler currently lives in Putnam County with his wife and two children, and when not in the office, he enjoys playing golf and following his favorite sports teams. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, New York Society of Certified Public Accountant and Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants.

About Reynolds + Rowella

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting and consulting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

Our mission is to operate as a financial services firm of outstanding quality. Our efforts are directed at serving our clients in the most efficient and responsive manner possible, delivering services that exceed the expectations of those we serve. The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Bresnan at 203.438.0161 or email.

Monitor Overtime Pay for Your Remote Workers

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Paying your employees for hours that you know they’ve worked is straightforward enough. But what if they’re doing more work than you think they are — or more than you’ve asked them to do? As federal regulations state, “Work not requested but suffered or permitted is work time” and, thus, must be compensated.

As explained in a new Department of Labor (DOL) field assistance bulletin (FAB), “If the employer knows or has reason to believe that the work is being performed, he must count the time as hours worked.” The rub, the FAB explains, is this:

“While it may be easy to define what an employer actually knows, it may not always be clear when an employer ‘has reason to believe that work is being performed,’ particularly when employees telework or otherwise work remotely at locations that the employer does not control or monitor.”

CLICK BUTTON – FAB: Employers’ obligation to exercise reasonable diligence in tracking teleworking employees’ hours of work

You Should’ve Known

Generally, the onus is on you to keep employees from performing more work than you want them to and are paying them to perform — whether it’s to prevent you from having to pay overtime rates or more regular time hours than you’ve budgeted. According to the FAB, “employers bear the burden of preventing work when it’s not desired,” and “the mere promulgation of a rule against such work is not enough.”

“Management has the power to enforce the [work hours limit] rule and must make every effort to do so,” it states. And yet courts have been clear that there are limits to the meaning of “make every effort.” In one case, a federal court ruled that the key is whether an employer’s inquiry about employees’ work activities are reasonable “in light of the circumstances surrounding the employer’s business, including existing overtime policies and requirements.” The bottom line, though, is that you need to make a genuine effort to know how many hours your employees are working, whether they’re operating from their homes or at your regular worksite.

Recordkeeping

It’s important to have a good timekeeping system that requires hourly employees to use if they want to be paid for all of the time they work. Your system should make it obvious to you if employees start to log enough hours to qualify for overtime pay. That enables you to take steps to ensure that workers don’t, or don’t continue to, log hours that must be paid at time-and-a-half.

The DOL’s new guidance is particularly concerned with salaried non-exempt employees. The simplest approach to managing workers’ hours, the FAB suggests, is to provide “a reporting procedure for non-scheduled time” and paying employees accordingly, even if you didn’t ask them to work those extra hours. (You might also then have a discussion with the employees, laying out your expectations about how many hours they should spend on various elements of their jobs.)

With such a reporting system in place, if employees fail to report unscheduled hours through the established procedure, what is your responsibility? “The employer is not required to undergo impractical efforts to investigate further to uncover unreported hours of work and provide compensation for those hours,” states the FAB.

Practicality Standard

What’s impractical? While you might have access to data indicating when employees are accessing their work computers, you don’t have to sort through this information to determine whether employees worked longer hours than they’ve reported.

The FAB’s conclusion is supported by a federal appeals court ruling involving Chicago policemen who sued the city for overtime pay. The plaintiffs argued that the police department should have monitored officers’ cell phone logs to determine whether they were working overtime. The Court of Appeals ruled that the City of Chicago lacked either actual or constructive knowledge that members of the Chicago Police Department were performing after-hours work on their smartphones—affirming a trial court’s earlier ruling that the City was not liable for this work under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

However, if employees are in any way discouraged from reporting work they performed that was beyond what was scheduled, employers are on the hook for paying overtime. The most brazen form of discouragement would be explicit, such as threatening the worker’s job future for reporting overtime hours worked. But the FAB cites another form of discouragement that could be inadvertent: establishing a system for employees to report overtime hours but neglecting to properly instruct employees on how to use that system.

The Bottom Line

The practical implication of the guidance provided in the FAB is that if you don’t currently have a system in place for nonexempt salaried employees to report overtime work, you should establish one. Then train your employees — whether working remotely or not — on how to use it. 

Reynolds + Rowella’s HR Consulting team is here to help you identify the right reporting system for your organization and develop training guides to ensure compliance with your team. Please reach out to Katie Hall for assistance.

REYNOLDS & ROWELLA | ACCOUNTING AND CONSULTING

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, CT and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, CT

For more information, give us a call at 203.438.0161 or email us.

5 Key Points about Bonus Depreciation

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You’re probably aware of the 100% bonus depreciation tax break that’s available for a wide range of qualifying property. Here are five important points to be aware of when it comes to this powerful tax-saving tool.

1. Bonus depreciation is scheduled to phase out

Under current law, 100% bonus depreciation will be phased out in steps for property placed in service in calendar years 2023 through 2027; 80% rate will apply to property placed in service in 2023, 60% in 2024, 40% in 2025, and 20% in 2026, and a 0% rate will apply in 2027 and later years.

For certain property with a long production period, the phaseout is scheduled to take place a year later, from 2024 to 2028.

Of course, Congress could pass legislation to extend or revise the above rules.

2. Bonus depreciation is available for new and most used property

In the past, used property didn’t qualify. It currently qualifies unless: 

  • The taxpayer previously used the property and
  • The property was acquired in certain forbidden transactions (generally acquisitions that are tax free or from a related person or entity).
3. Taxpayers should sometimes make the election to turn down bonus depreciation 

Taxpayers can elect to reject bonus depreciation for one or more classes of property. The election out may be useful for sole proprietorships, and business entities taxed under the rules for partnerships and S corporations, that want to prevent “wasting” depreciation deductions by applying them against lower-bracket income in the year property was placed in service — instead of against anticipated higher bracket income in later years.

Note that business entities taxed as “regular” corporations (in other words, non-S corporations) are taxed at a flat rate.

4. Bonus depreciation is available for certain building improvements

Before the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), bonus depreciation was available for two types of real property: 

  • Land improvements other than buildings, for example fencing and parking lots, and
  • “Qualified improvement property,” a broad category of internal improvements made to non-residential buildings after the buildings are placed in service.

The TCJA inadvertently eliminated bonus depreciation for qualified improvement property.

However, the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) made a retroactive technical correction to the TCJA. The correction makes qualified improvement property placed in service after December 31, 2017, eligible for bonus depreciation.

5. 100% bonus depreciation has reduced the importance of “Section 179 expensing”

If you own a smaller business, you’ve likely benefited from Sec. 179 expensing. This is an elective benefit that — subject to dollar limits — allows an immediate deduction of the cost of equipment, machinery, off-the-shelf computer software and some building improvements. Sec. 179 has been enhanced by the TCJA, but the availability of 100% bonus depreciation is economically equivalent and has greatly reduced the cases in which Sec. 179 expensing is useful.

We can help

The above discussion touches only on some major aspects of bonus depreciation. This is a complex area with tax implications for transactions other than simple asset acquisitions. Please reach out to your R+R financial professional or complete the contact us form if you have any questions about how to proceed in your situation.

REYNOLDS & ROWELLA | ACCOUNTING AND CONSULTING

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, give us a call at 203.438.0161 or email us.

3 Steps to Increase the Likelihood of Your PPP Loan Forgiveness

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With the forgiveness process now open, accountants, tax professionals and auditors are working around the clock to submit forgiveness applications on behalf of their clients. Without forgiveness, millions of businesses will be saddled with debt they cannot afford and otherwise likely would not have borrowed. The impact of mass non-forgiveness will likely be another major obstacle to economic recovery. Thus, the pressure is on lenders and the Small Business Administration to forgive as many of the loans as legally possible.

There are several steps that you can take to increase the likelihood of Payment Protection Program PPP loan forgiveness:

1. Be thorough. Submit a PPP loan forgiveness application that is clear and contains all the supporting information. Accountants should outline the basis for their calculations. Remember, temporary employees not experienced in financial reviews will be considering many of these applications on behalf of lenders and the SBA.

2. Be conservative. Remember, recent guidance has allowed more flexibility on the timeframe to spend the loan. If using a shorter time frame makes your calculations too close for comfort, extend your review period. For example, rather than use a questionable utility expense, just include one additional payroll for qualifying employees.

3. Be educated. After reviewing the guidance provided by the SBA, go over it in detail with your tax professional. Each business is unique and benefits from different parts of the guidance. It is cumbersome and complex, but knowing the rules will make completing the forgiveness application process much smoother.

Read More: PPP LOAN FORGIVNESS

What’s Next:

We understand the PPP loan forgiveness process can be intimidating but you are not alone, and we are here to help! If you have any questions or if we can be of assistance in calculating your forgivable PPP loan and forgiveness application, please reach out to your R+R financial professional or complete the contact us form.

REYNOLDS & ROWELLA | ACCOUNTING AND CONSULTING

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, give us a call at 203.438.0161 or email us.

The SBA Releases Advice On Avoiding Stimulus Program-Related Fraud

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The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has warned the public to be on the lookout for scams related to the stimulus programs offered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SBA has identified grant fraud, loan fraud and phishing schemes related to the stimulus program:

Grants

  • SBA does not initiate contact on either 7a or Disaster loans or grants.  If you are proactively contacted by someone claiming to be from the SBA, suspect fraud.

Loans

  • If you are contacted by someone promising to get approval of an SBA loan, but requires any payment up front or offers a high interest bridge loan in the interim, suspect fraud.
  • SBA limits the fees a broker can charge a borrower to 3% for loans $50,000 or less and 2% for loans $50,000 to $1,000,000 with an additional ¼% on amounts over $1,000,000.  Any attempt to charge more than these fees is inappropriate.
  • If you have a question about getting a SBA disaster loan, call 800-659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.
  • If you have questions about other SBA lending products, call SBA’s Answer Desk at 800-827-5722 or send an email to answerdesk@sba.gov.

Phishing

  • If you are in the process of applying for an SBA loan and receive email correspondence asking for personally identifiable information (PII), ensure that the referenced application number is consistent with the actual application number.
  • Look out for phishing attacks/scams utilizing the SBA logo.  These may be attempts to obtain your PII, to obtain personal banking access, or to install ransomware/malware on your computer.
  • Any email communication from SBA will come from accounts ending with sba.gov.
  • The presence of an SBA logo on a webpage does not guaranty the information is accurate or endorsed by SBA.  Please cross-reference any information you receive with information available at www.sba.gov.

All questions related to your Paycheck Protection Program loan, should be directed to the bank processing your loan application.

Report any suspected fraud to OIG’s Hotline at 800-767-0385 or online at www.sba.gov/about-sba/oversight-advocacy/office-inspector-general/office-inspector-general-hotline.

Click here for tips from the Better Business Bureau on spotting small business loan scams.

REYNOLDS & ROWELLA | ACCOUNTING AND CONSULTING

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, give us a call at 203.438.0161 or email us.

Legislation Impacting Your Business (Action Requested)

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On Wednesday, March 25th the Senate passed an updated version of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bill builds upon earlier versions of the CARES Act. This legislation has the potential to directly impact your business in a significant way. While there are many facets of this bill that seek to provide economic relief in response to the Covid-19 outbreak, there are three that are most likely to be of immediate concern to you:

BUSINESS RETENTION LOANS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

SBA loans will be issued for an amount equal to approximately 8 weeks of payroll and qualifying overhead. If conditions are met (retaining employees, etc…) the loan will convert to a grant and will be forgiven. Every FDIC insured financial institution will be eligible to make these loans and funds can be disbursed the same day the application is filed. The Treasury will be issuing further guidance in the coming days and the program is expected to be operational in approximately 3 weeks.

EMPLOYEE RETENTION CREDIT

This provision provides a refundable payroll tax credit for 50 percent of wages paid by employers to employees during the COVID-19 crisis. The credit is available to employers whose (1) operations were fully or partially suspended, due to a COVID-19-related shutdown order, or (2) gross receipts declined by more than 50 percent when compared to the same quarter in the prior year.

The credit is based on qualified wages paid to the employee. For employers with greater than 100 full-time employees, qualified wages are wages paid to employees when they are not providing services due to the COVID-19-related circumstances described above. For eligible employers with 100 or fewer full-time employees, all employee wages qualify for the credit, whether the employer is open for business or subject to a shut-down order. The credit is provided for the first $10,000 of compensation, including health benefits, paid to an eligible employee. The credit is provided for wages paid or incurred from March 13 through December 31, 2020.

PROVISIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS

For individuals the package provides direct payments of $1,200 per adult and $500 for each child to lower and middle-income Americans. Phaseouts begin at $75K for individuals and $150K for married couples. Checks are anticipated in mid-May. Additionally, unemployment insurance will be extended to four months and the benefits bolstered by $600 weekly with eligibility being expanded to cover more workers.

Again, these are just three of the major provisions addressed in the CARES Act. CLICK HERE TO FIND AN OUTLINE OF ALL OF THE KEY PROVISIONS.

Reynolds + Rowella wants to make sure you were fully aware of this legislation and encourage you to take early action on it. We anticipate there will be significant demand for the forgivable SBA loans so it makes sense to reach out to your lenders now. In the event that you would like a referral to a local bank that will be supporting this program please let us know and we will be happy to provide an introduction.

During this extraordinary event, we want to make sure our firm is supporting you to the best of our ability. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if we can provide any immediate assistance. You can also expect a R+R team member to contact you during the weeks ahead to check in and provide you with information on additional new regulations and legislation that might apply to you and your business.

REYNOLDS & ROWELLA | ACCOUNTING AND CONSULTING

Reynolds + Rowella is a regional accounting firm known for a team approach to financial problem solving. As Certified Public Accountants, our partners foster a personal touch with our clients. As members of DFK International/USA, an association of accountants and advisors, our professional network is international, yet many of our clients have known us for years through the local communities we serve.

The firm has offices at 90 Grove St., Ridgefield, Conn., and 51 Locust Ave., New Canaan, Conn. For more information, give us a call at 203.438.0161 or email us.

where to find us and how to call us

90 Grove Street / Ridgefield, CT 06877 / Office: 203.438.0161 / Fax: 203.431.3570
51 Locust Avenue / New Canaan, CT 06840 / Office: 203.972.5191