William Byrnes' Tax, Wealth, and Risk Intelligence

Well, it looks like there will be a work-around for the SALT cap that was enacted under the Trump tax reform bill, at least for taxpayers who own pass-throughs. The IRS has officially announced that those pass-through entities can pay (and then deduct) the SALT taxes above the $10,000 limit.  Also, those who took our PPP loans for $2 million or more are getting a rather detailed questionnaire from the SBA inquiring about the economic necessity of those loans. Recall that PPP loans of less than $2 million are presumed to be requested in good faith, so this doesn’t apply to those borrowers. Happy Thanksgiving (or Zoomsgiving)!

Prof. William H. Byrnes

Robert Bloink, J.D., LL.M.

IRS Offers Guidance on Covid-19 Era Qualified Transportation BenefitsWith so many employees working from home for the bulk of 2020, employees have begun to question whether they will lose their unused qualified transportation benefits.  Some employees are driving rather than using public transit–and others aren’t commuting at all.  The IRS recently released an information letter explaining that unused qualified transportation benefit amounts can be rolled over to subsequent periods and used for future commuting expenses.  To qualify, the employee must have made a valid compensation reduction election and remain employed by the employer in the subsequent period.  Further, the IRS confirmed that unused amounts could be applied to other types of qualified transportation benefits, including parking, if the employer offers that benefit.  On the other hand, the IRS noted that refunds of unused qualified transportation benefits are not permitted if those benefits are provided through a compensation reduction agreement.  For more information on qualified transportation benefits, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read More

SBA Issues PPP Loan Necessity Questionnaires to PPP Loan RecipientsIn a surprise move, the SBA has begun asking paycheck protection program (PPP) lenders to issue loan necessity questionnaires to recipients of loans of at least $2 million.  The questionnaires are detailed and request significant information, and were issued without warning or fanfare.  It’s expected that these information requests might be used in enforcement of PPP loan requirements or in determining eligibility for forgiveness.  According to the SBA, the forms will be used to evaluate whether a recipient’s loan was made necessary by economic uncertainty.  Information provided in the forms must be certified under threat of criminal action for false statements.  The questions essentially ask borrowers to certify actual detrimental economic impact.  Borrowers will also have to provide information about local Covid-19 shutdown orders, other CARES Act aid, financial information and compensation to highly compensated owners and employees.  Upon receipt, the borrower has only 10 days to complete the questionnaire and submit supporting documents.  For more information on the PPP loan program, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read More

IRS Regs Bless SALT Cap Workarounds for Pass-Through EntitiesThe IRS has released regulations confirming that partnerships and S corporations who pay entity-level taxes at the state level can deduct those taxes on their federal income tax returns.  By now, most people are familiar with the $10,000 SALT deduction cap created by the 2017 tax reform legislation.  High-tax state governments have attempted to create workarounds that would allow taxpayers to get around this cap.  At the individual level, the IRS has responded to shut those efforts down.  The recent regulations confirm, however, that the entity is permitted the deduction for state-level taxes even if the entity could have elected to pass the tax liability through to the actual individual owners.  For more information on the SALT cap, visit Tax Facts Online.  Read More

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