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Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans were designed to provide a life raft for business owners struggling in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As most small-business clients have already learned, PPP loan forgiveness is very much a "some strings attached" process. Those strings include forgoing valuable business expense deductions — possibly leading to a hefty tax bill in 2021.
However, not all loan recipients are in the same boat. The IRS has recently released a two-pronged set of guidance for determining whether — and when — small-business owners might be entitled to deduct business expenses despite the generally applicable "no double dipping" rule.
Expecting Loan Forgiveness? Forget the Business Expense Deductions
The IRS guidance confirms that PPP loan recipients who have a reasonable expectation that they will have loan amounts forgiven cannot deduct otherwise eligible business expenses. The rationale behind this "no double dipping" rule is that forgiven PPP loans are not included in the business' income under normal cancellation of debt rules.
Expenses like salary, rent, mortgage interest and utilities are generally deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses under IRC Section 162. These are also exactly the types of expenses that can be incurred in order for a business to receive loan forgiveness under the CARES Act.
A client who received a covered loan guaranteed under the PPP can't deduct otherwise deductible expenses if, at the end of such taxable year, the client reasonably expects to receive forgiveness of the covered loan on the basis of the expenses it paid or accrued during the covered period.
That's true even if the client has not yet submitted an application for forgiveness of the covered loan by the end of the tax year.
This is a broader than anticipated extension of the no-deductibility rule. In short, it means that taxpayers won't be able to deduct business expenses even if they haven't taken any steps toward obtaining loan forgiveness by the end of 2020, as long as they plan to apply for forgiveness.
It's also uncertain whether this will be the final rule on the issue. Many members of Congress have expressed a desire to take action and prevent this result. Given current political uncertainties, however, it's far from certain that Congress will act quickly enough to give business owners the certainty they need by tax time.
