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The Senate on Tuesday approved $370 billion in additional funding for small businesses through programs administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as part of a new COVID-19 pandemic relief bill. The relief bill passed in the Senate and moves to the House, which will convene to consider the package, with a vote expected Thursday. President Donald Trump said in a tweet that he would sign the legislation. The $484 billion bills also include an additional $75 billion for reimbursements to hospitals and health care providers to support the need for coronavirus-related expenses and lost revenue. Funding of $25 billion for coronavirus testing expenses also is included. Most of the funds administered by the SBA, $310 billion, will replenish the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provides forgivable loans to certain types of businesses struggling as a result of the pandemic. The $310 billion for the PPP sets aside $60 billion in loans to be made by small banks, credit unions, minority-owned banks, and other small lenders. Of that total: $30 billion is for loans by FDIC-insured banks and credit unions that have assets between $10 billion and $50 billion. An additional $30 billion is for lenders with less than […]

Taxpayers should be aware of a new twist on an old scam involving erroneous tax refunds that are being deposited into their bank accounts. After stealing client data and filing fraudulent tax returns, these criminals use the taxpayers’ real bank accounts to deposit refunds, then use various tactics to reclaim the refund from the taxpayers. Here’s what you need to know. Different Versions of the Scam In one version of the scam, criminals posing as debt collection agency officials acting on behalf of the IRS contacted the taxpayers to say a refund was deposited in error, and they asked the taxpayers to forward the money to their collection agency. In another version, the taxpayer who received the erroneous refund gets an automated call with a recorded voice saying he is from the IRS and threatens the taxpayer with criminal fraud charges, an arrest warrant and a “blacklisting” of their Social Security Number. The recorded voice gives the taxpayer a case number and a telephone number to call to return the refund. What to do if your Tax Return is Rejected Because this is a peak season for filing tax returns, taxpayers who file electronically may find that their tax return […]

The health care law contains tax provisions that affect employers. The size and structure of a workforce–small or large–helps determine which parts of the law apply to which employers. Calculating the number of employees is especially important for employers that have close to 50 employees or whose workforce fluctuates during the year. Two parts of the Affordable Care Act apply only to applicable large employers. These are the employer shared responsibility provisions and the employer information reporting provisions for offers of minimum essential coverage. The number of employees an employer has during the current year determines whether it is an applicable large employer (ALE) for the following year. For example, you will use information about the size of your workforce during 2017 to determine if your organization is an ALE for 2018. Applicable large employers are generally those with 50 or more full-time employees or full-time equivalent employees. Under the employer shared responsibility provision, ALEs are required to offer their full-time employees and dependents affordable coverage that provides minimum value. Employers with fewer than 50 full-time or full-time equivalent employees are not applicable large employers. Who is a Full-time Employee? There are many additional rules for determining who is a […]

For many business owners, collecting on your accounts receivables can be challenging especially as more people switch from established collection procedures to online payment methods. The good news is that you can take positive action to improve collection rates, shorten the aging days of your accounts receivable, help your business improve its cash flow and tighten up its credit and collections policies. While some of the tips discussed here may not be suitable for every business most can serve as general guidelines to give your company more financial stability. Define Your Policy. Define and stick to concrete credit guidelines. Your sales force should not sell to customers who are not credit-worthy, or who have become delinquent. You should also clearly delineate what leeway salespeople have to vary from these guidelines in attempting to attract customers. Tip: You should have a system of controls for checking out a potential customer’s credit, and it should be used before an order is shipped. Further, there should be clear communication between the accounting department and the sales department as to current customers who become delinquent. Clearly Explain Your Payment Policy. Invoices should contain clear written information about how much time customers have to pay, […]