COVID-19 news and information for CPAs

TOPICS

January 26, 2021

SBA announces steps to improve PPP review process

The SBA said that it is taking steps to improve the agency’s first-draw Paycheck Protection Program loan review process so that small businesses seeking a second-draw loan have as much time as possible to access those funds.

January 21, 2021

6 tips for CPAs on newest round of PPP funding

A new round of Paycheck Protection Program funding is available for businesses affected by the pandemic. Here’s what CPAs and business leaders need to know to get the funding they need.

January 20, 2021

IRS explains extended payroll tax due dates

The IRS issued updated procedures for the deferred employee portion of employment tax payments, which were further extended from April 30, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021, by year-end legislation.

January 20, 2021

Updated PPP loan forgiveness applications and rules unveiled

The SBA and Treasury released updated Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness guidance and forms, including a one-page application for borrowers that received a PPP loan of $150,000 or less.

January 19, 2021

Some individual taxpayers get relief from underpayment penalty

The IRS granted individual taxpayers a waiver from the penalty for underestimated tax due solely to the amendment to Sec. 461(l)(1)(B) in the CARES Act repealing the excess business loss limitations for years before 2021.

January 19, 2021

Taxpayers need clarity on coordination of ERC and PPP loans

The AICPA asked the IRS and Treasury to clarify that the filing of a Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness application is not an election by the taxpayer to forgo the employee retention credit for wages reported on the application exceeding the amount of wages necessary for loan forgiveness.

January 19, 2021

PPP calculations guidance released

The SBA and Treasury issued guidance addressing how Paycheck Protection Program borrowers should calculate revenue reduction and maximum loan amounts for second-draw PPP loans — and what documentation should be provided to support those calculations.

January 15, 2021

The latest advice on PPP loans

The second version of the Paycheck Protection Program is not the same as the first. Two AICPA executives discuss what CPAs need to know.

January 14, 2021

Guidance issued for PPP first-draw loan increases, reapplications

New procedural guidance from the SBA outlines the processes Paycheck Protection Program borrowers and their lenders must follow to reapply for a first-draw PPP loan or request an increase to a loan approved by Aug. 8, 2020, which is when the first iteration of PPP stopped accepting applications.

January 14, 2021

Why investing in employees matters more than ever

A Robert Half executive explains the retention worries of senior managers and what employees expect from their organizations amid the pandemic.

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Build reusable Skills in Anthropic’s Claude AI

Instead of rewriting prompts each time, CPAs can turn routine tasks into reusable AI Skills. This Technology Q&A walks through how to build Claude Skills that process files, ask setup questions, and export clean Excel outputs.