By Greg Daugherty and Victoria Hanohano-Hong on The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has provided a wide range of programs that affect employee benefit plans, employers and employees. One benefit that has flown under the radar is a new, temporary tax-qualified student loan repayment plan. Section 2206 of the CARES Act allows employers to claim a tax deduction for … Continue Reading
By Greg Daugherty, Deb Boiarsky, Victoria Hanohano-Hong and Rich Helmreich on The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, authorizes employers to make changes to their qualified retirement plans to increase loan limits, delay loan repayments, and make distributions to plan participants experiencing certain COVID-19 related circumstances. Due to a lack of guidance from the IRS, there’s confusion among third-party administrators (TPAs) about how to … Continue Reading
By Victoria Hanohano-Hong, Dave Tumen and Porter Wright on Employers may claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit and the tax credits available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) for relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. They do this first, by reducing the employer portion of Social Security taxes, and then, by reducing the employer’s payroll deposits in an amount equal to the refundable portion … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Since the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Treasury Department have released a series of interim final rules and updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (as of April 8, 2020) regarding Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). These updates provide critical guidance and information … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Certain government programs, including SBA loan programs, are reserved for “small businesses.” In order to qualify for those programs, a business must satisfy both the SBA’s definition of a “small business concern” as well as the size standards for a small business.… Continue Reading
By Rich Helmreich on As COVID-19 cases continue to mount nationwide, so have lawsuits relating to fallout from the virus. On April 6, 2020, in one of the first COVID-19-related lawsuits of its kind, the estate of an Illinois Walmart Supercenter employee sued Walmart and the premises owner for wrongful death in Toney Evans v. Walmart, Inc., et al. My colleague … Continue Reading
By Victoria Hanohano-Hong on On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law. The CARES Act introduced the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), a new tax credit to incentivize employers, who are economically distressed due to COVID-19, to retain employees.… Continue Reading
By Victoria Hanohano-Hong on There are three COVID-19 related tax credits that were introduced under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which are subject to various limitations: Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act tax credits – a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for qualifying wage payments of emergency paid sick … Continue Reading
By Victoria Hanohano-Hong on On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law requiring employers with fewer than 500 employees to make payments for COVID-19 related FLMA leave and paid sick leave required by the Act. To lessen this financial burden to employers, the act provides for refundable tax credits to offset payroll … Continue Reading
By Greg Daugherty and Deb Boiarsky on The spread of COVID-19 and the resulting disruption to the economy has led many employers to think creatively about how to manage cash, provide for the sustainability of their businesses and preserve the culture they have created with their employees and customers. These issues are especially critical for employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) companies, many … Continue Reading
By Victoria Hanohano-Hong on This post was updated on April 7, 2020. Please read the update here. On March 18, 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law requiring employers with fewer than 500 employees to make payments for COVID-19 related FMLA leave and paid sick leave required by the act. To lessen this financial … Continue Reading
By Rich Helmreich on We have all felt the tremendous impact to our workplaces and daily lives following the COVID-19 outbreak We’ve also watched the daily press conferences announcing new legislation and executive orders–but what happens next? My colleagues Leigh Ann Benedic and Mike Underwood hosted a discussion on effects of the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) on … Continue Reading
By Greg Daugherty, Dave Tumen and Rich Helmreich on Unintended consequences are a fact of life. As one of many examples, after the Titanic sank, the United States enacted a law that required any American ship carrying over 100 tons of weight to have enough lifeboats for every passenger. It was a noble thought – no more rationing of lifeboats in the event of … Continue Reading
By Victoria Hanohano-Hong on As more test kits become available for COVID-19 and an increasing number of people are tested, there will be more positive diagnoses. Because of COVID-19’s rapid community spread, many employers will soon see positive diagnoses of their own employees. If an employee tests positive for COVID-19, an employer may want to limit workplace exposure by … Continue Reading
By Rich Helmreich on There have been a number of helpful blogs recently from our colleagues at Porter Wright aimed at helping businesses navigate the COVID-19 outbreak. Navigating Employment Issues in the Wake of COVID-19 webinar We have all felt the tremendous impacts to our workplaces and daily lives following the COVID-19 outbreak We’ve also watched the daily press … Continue Reading
