4Thought Blog

President Trump issued an executive memorandum on August 8 to defer the employee's portion of Social Security tax obligations for many workers. The deferral will last from September 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020.

What, if anything, should employers do to comply with the order by the September 1 deadline? The answer depends on impending guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has issued further guidance on Paycheck Protection Program loans with new comprehensive frequently asked questions.

The new 10-page document answers 23 FAQs, including on loan forgiveness payroll costs, nonpayroll costs and forgiveness reductions.

The full FAQ document can be accessed here. Here are some highlights:

Several months into the COVID-19 crisis, most nonprofit organizations have formulated at least temporary plan for sustaining operations. But short-term solutions should be complemented by long-term strategic planning that reprioritizes objectives.

Specifically, your nonprofit needs to focus on three areas: social impact, economic viability and capacity to deliver. Let's take a look.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has announced it will start accepting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness applications starting Aug. 10.

The SBA issued new loan forgiveness applications in June. You can read more about the two application options and access them in our previous article.

Borrowers are tasked with preparing the forgiveness application and submitting it to their lender. Borrowers also are responsible for calculating the specific forgiveness amount.

The COVID-19 crisis has probably changed your business operations. For example, in response to the crisis, you might need to alter your company's production line, cleaning and scheduling practices, supply chain partners, distribution methods and even product offerings.

Whether these changes are temporary or you're using recent product and operational shifts as blueprints for the future, you'll likely need to retrain or "reskill" workers.

Even before the pandemic, rapid technological advances made retraining workers necessary for many manufacturers. Perhaps you've already invested considerable time and money ensuring employees are proficient using the most innovative equipment. But if your business model is changing and you want it to be successful, you'll likely need to send workers back to "school."

Economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis will cause many rental real estate properties to run up tax losses in 2020 — and possibly beyond. Here's a summary of important federal income tax rules for such losses.   

What You Can Write Off

Rental property owners can deduct mortgage interest and real estate taxes. They can also write off all standard operating expenses that go along with owning rental property. Examples include:

As businesses look to navigate towards financial health in the changing normal of a post-pandemic world, there are key areas of their business plan to reassess.

The goal, as we endure and ultimately come out of this crisis, is to rebound to better than normal. Because as the pandemic ends —whether in 3, 6, 12 months or more — the world will not look the same.

Businesses that start forecasting the post- COVID-19 landscape —and make plans accordingly—will be in a good position to succeed during the pandemic and beyond. Below are some key areas to to address in planning, and businesses should work with their trusted advisors to ensure a well deep perspective and test the thinking in critical areas.

The PPP loan forgiveness application has been simplified and an easier version for certain businesses has been issued.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced this week it has simplified the PPP loan forgiveness application and created a second application called the EZ application. The EZ application requires fewer calculations and less documentation for eligible borrowers.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of virtually every charitable organization. However, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought the fundraising efforts of many nonprofits to a virtual standstill. This is particularly true if your nonprofit's mission is unrelated to human health and services or other causes related to the pandemic.

Maybe you've operated in challenging circumstances before — for example, during the recession following 2008's financial collapse. Even so, high unemployment and general uncertainty about the severity and longevity of the COVID-19 crisis is likely to make this time even more difficult. Here are some ideas for navigating the greatest obstacles:

Although the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has walloped most U.S. businesses, how your business recovers will largely be construction-industry-specific.

For example, most construction companies need to address disruptions to project schedules and overseas supply chains. They may need to renegotiate building contracts and find replacements for workers who are no longer available due to travel restrictions.

Depending on your niche, the fallout from COVID-19 could last months and possibly even years. Here are some tips on handling five major obstacles to help make a full recovery: