Tax Incentives Blog

Since the beginning of the pandemic it has been a whirlwind of unprecedented economic impacts. With that came the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and a curtailment of enforcement actions by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including audits. Per the People First Initiative the IRS generally avoided launching new audits from April 1^st through July 15^th. This did not prevent the IRS from opening audits to protect the government’s interest in preserving statute of limitations. (See IRS, IR-2020-59) In a report released June 29^th, National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins said that the IRS launched substantially fewer audits from April 1^st to June 1^st compared to the same period in 2019. The IRS launched 71% fewer Corporate audits, 79% fewer Partnership audits, and 65% fewer individual audits. In total across all types of examinations there was a 65% decrease during this time period. With July 15^th approaching the assumption is that there will be an increase in audits launched. However, with the pandemic still in a critical state as numbers of COVID-19 cases rise it remains to be seen what will happen as things are more fluid and the rules of the game are constantly changing.

During this time of unprecedented economic challenges faced by small businesses during COVID-19, rare glimpses of bipartisanship are encountered to assist small business with economic relief. Due to the economic challenges faced by small businesses the economic relief provided is in a constant state of fluidity. This has been the status quo for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The President signed into law the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPPFA) to address the concerns voiced by the small businesses utilizing the program. The Congressional intent of the new law is to allow greater flexibility for business to use the PPP loans that was not provided by the initial short-term fix of the PPP set up under the CARES Act. This new law provides the following expansions and flexibility to address the issues created by the CARES Act – PPP, that was a band aid and not a comprehensive bandage when it was enacted.

Despite the size of the veteran workforce, tapping into the population has proved to be a challenge for many non-governmental employers. In 2012, to address the challenges faced by Gulf War-era II Veterans, Congress passed the Vow to Hire Hero’s Act, which expanded the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (“WOTC”) with the addition of four new, veteran-specific categories. The WOTC was created in 1996 to provide a federal tax credit to employers that hire individuals from specific target groups. People from these target groups have been identified by the U.S. government as having historically high unemployment rates. By many measures, the WOTC has been a success and continues to have bi-partisan support in Congress.

Life is in a constant state of flux right now with the COVID-19 virus. It has affected daily life and the economy. Congress has worked to provide economic stimulus programs such as loans and credits. The intent of Congress was to stimulate the economy and help employers maintain business and retain employees to alleviate the economic hardship caused by COVID-19. However, as is typical when trying to quickly stop the negative impact of a disaster, details get omitted from the legislation and key areas need clarification as we have seen recently with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Employee Retention Credit. More specifically, with the PPP concerning the deductibility of expenses when payments were made with debt forgiven funds and with the Employee Retention Credit in determining whether employers could claim the Employee Retention Credit when the only payments made to furloughed employees was for their health care benefits.

The Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released new guidelines and provisions under NOTICE 2020-23 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  These measures were intended to provide relief to taxpayers in the form of extensions to time-sensitive acts. Most notably under these provisions was the extension of the tax filing deadline to July 15, 2020.

The IRS has issued FAQs to provide guidance for taxpayers reporting the employee retention credit for certain employers subject to closure due to the COVID-19 crisis.  It provides that the credit with respect to wages paid in March should be reported on the 2nd quarter 2020 employment tax return.

Many of you have probably have heard of “cross-training.” The term usually conjures up images of gym clothes-clad men and women sweating through workouts.

With this exercise approach, a person alternates their workout activities. The intent is to affect a more comprehensive range of muscles and to increase both cardio tolerance and muscle growth, with less chance of injury.

Back in the 80s, many a kid – and probably adults, too – dreamed of having their own Knight Industries Two Thousand - or KITT. KITT was the car co-star in the hit TV series, Knight Rider. The souped-up, technologically tricked-out Trans Am and his driver, Michael Knight, helped slam the brakes on crime for a private public-justice foundation.

They watched the Lone Ranger ride his white horse across the world’s first televisions and ‘cruised the circuit’ in their ‘woodies.’ They swiveled their hips with Elvis Presley, drove to the drive-in to make out, developed the ‘burbs, and received the first polio vaccinations. They witnessed the fall of segregation, the rise of mega-corporations, and the take-off of transglobal passenger flights. Through all of this, they were ‘swell’ and ‘groovy,’ and wore ‘boss threads.’

My father vowed that he and his sister would never subject my grandmother to the confines of a senior facility. We would care for her at home till her last day. But sometimes circumstances break the promises we intend to keep.

As my grandmother’s health declined, we were no longer able to provide for her properly. And in-home care equipment and staff for the round-the-clock support she required were well beyond anyone’s financial capability. With broken hearts full of worry and sorrow, we decided to relinquish her to a senior healthcare facility.