Accounting

Sometimes trying to be too discreet can cause major headaches Did you receive your economic stimulus check from the CARES Act yet? If you qualified to receive a stimulus payment you may be one of the four million plus Americans who will receive an Economic Income Payment (EIP) debit card by mail. The Treasury department began sending the cards May 26th in a plain white envelope with the inscription “Money Network Cardholder Services in Omaha” in the return address portion. If you received an envelope like this, thought it was junk mail, and tossed it away, you are not alone. The [...]

“Like sands through the hourglass, so is the news surrounding the PPP loans.” As you may recall business owners have applied to borrow up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll through the Payroll Protection Program. The CARES Act specifically states that the money must be used within 8 weeks of receipt for payroll and certain other expenses such as rent and utilities. If the loan proceeds are used correctly the loan can be forgiven. Generally when debt is canceled it results in gross income and becomes taxable. The CARES Act clearly states that forgiven debt under the PPP shall be [...]

The “Special Rules for Loans and Distributions from IRAs and Qualified Plans” is one major aspect of the CARES Act that has garnered little attention. You may withdraw up to $100,000 from all qualified plans in which you participate from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 without the 10% penalty for early withdrawal if you are under 59½ if any of the following circumstances occurs: You are diagnosed with SARS-COV2 or COVID-19 by a test approved by the CDC A spouse or a dependent is diagnosed with same You experience adverse financial consequences as a result of the following: Quarantined [...]

The United States House of Representatives passed the $2T CARES Act this afternoon, and the President has signed it into law. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says the first set of stimulus checks under Division B, Title 1 should go out the week of April 6th. He also estimates that roughly 83% of Americans will receive some or all of the $1,200 per adult stimulus check. If you have not yet filed your 2019 tax return, you may want to delay until after you receive your stimulus check; here’s why. If your 2019 return is ready or nearly ready to be filed [...]

“Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Some of you will recognize this quotation from President Kennedy’s 1962 speech that challenged America to go to the Moon by the end of the decade – after the U.S. was in space only 22 minutes! Many laughed and said it couldn’t be done that quickly. Today our planet is faced with a different type of challenge – COVID-19. Yes, it’s hard with one of the worst pandemics in human history. How we respond as nation’s, business owners, and as individuals will determine if this turns into a worldwide depression or [...]