What qualifies as a ‘coronavirus-related distribution’ from a retirement plan?
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act allows “qualified” people to take certain “coronavirus-related distributions” from their retirement plans without paying tax. The first question that needs to be asked is, what is a coronavirus-related distribution? Early distribution basics In general, if you withdraw money from an IRA or eligible retirement plan before […]
SBA revises the PPP loan forgiveness application
On June 17th, the SBA, in consultation with the Treasury Department, issued a revised, “borrower-friendly” Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application implementing the PPP Flexibility Act of 2020, signed into law by President Trump on June 5, 2020. In addition to revising the full forgiveness application, SBA also published a new EZ version of […]
If you’re selling your home, don’t forget about taxes
Traditionally, spring and summer are popular times for selling a home. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in a slowdown in sales. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that existing home sales in April decreased year-over-year, 17.2% from a year ago. One bit of good news is that home prices are up. The median […]
What’s next for Emergency Sick Leave now that school is out for summer?
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that, in part, provides emergency sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for employees who need to care for children whose schools had been closed as a result of the virus. Now that the school year is ending […]
Keep all records related to PPP loans and forgiveness application
“Uncertainty” is a word that defines the era of coronavirus, but there is one thing that is certain: You must keep documentation of everything you do. Guidance continues to emerge, and more legislative changes have been made to the Paycheck Protection Program with the PPP Flexibility Act. How this will impact your loans or your […]
COVID-19 has many people thinking about their estate plans
The following is published courtesy of Paige P. Baker, Esq., of Kanner Baker, LLC, estate planning and business law attorneys based in Sandy Springs, Ga. Learn more about Kanner Baker, LLC here. Since the coronavirus pandemic began in March, estate planning attorneys throughout the country have seen a significant increase in requests for wills and […]
Seniors: Can you deduct Medicare premiums?
If you’re age 65 and older, and you have basic Medicare insurance, you may need to pay additional premiums to get the level of coverage you want. The premiums can be costly, especially if you’re married and both you and your spouse are paying them. But there may be a silver lining: You may qualify […]
A nonworking spouse can still have an IRA
It’s often difficult for married couples to save as much as they need for retirement when one spouse doesn’t work outside the home — perhaps so that spouse can take care of children or elderly parents. In general, an IRA contribution is allowed only if a taxpayer has compensation. However, an exception involves a “spousal” […]
Congress passes Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act
Changes are now underway for the Paycheck Protection Program, altering criteria for business owners to be eligible for loan forgiveness. The Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act makes a number of retroactive improvements to the PPP forgiveness criteria, including extending the time borrowers have to spend the funds, increasing the percentage of loan funds allowed to be […]
Some Economic Impact Payments sent by prepaid debit cards
Millions of eligible Americans have already received their Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) via direct deposit or paper checks, and the IRS announced this week that some payments are being sent by prepaid debit card. The debit cards will arrive in a plain envelope from “Money Network Cardholder Services.” According to the IRS, nearly 4 million […]