Coronavirus Small Businesses Stimulus F.A.Q.: Loans, Grants, Freelancers

Companies with fewer than 50 employees can opt out of providing paid leave for the care of children whose school or day care is closed, but they must still give their employees paid sick leave. Companies with more than 500 employees are not obligated to give either kind of leave.

Employers can claim refundable tax credits to cover the cost of their employees’ leave. Our F.A.Q. on the paid leave law has more information on the specifics.

I’m having trouble paying my bills. What can I do?

If you already have a loan backed by the S.B.A., there’s good news: The agency is paying in full for six months the monthly payments (principal and interest) on existing loans and any new ones made before Sept. 27, 2020. The relief applies to borrowers with 7(a), 504 and microloans. Congress estimates that will help about 320,000 borrowers.

Borrowers with existing disaster loans are eligible for a payment deferral through the end of the year, but interest will continue to accrue.

Many banks, landlords and other creditors have said that they will work with borrowers affected by the pandemic, but it is generally up to them what aid, if any, they are willing to offer.

I’m keeping some or all of my workers, and I don’t want a loan. Is anything else available?

The employee retention credit is a refundable tax credit for employers of all sizes who hang on to their workers through the pandemic. It offers a 50 percent credit on up to $10,000 in wages per employee, meaning the credit will be for up to $5,000 per worker. It’s available on wages paid between March 12, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2021, and companies can file with the I.R.S. for an advance payment on the credit.

Companies are eligible if they were ordered by the government to fully or partially close, or if they have a drop of at least 50 percent in their gross receipts. Eligible businesses with fewer than 100 workers can claim the credit, even if their employees kept working through the crisis.

However, the credit is not available to companies that take out a paycheck protection program loan. (You can still claim the credit if you take out an economic injury disaster loan.)

Tara Siegel Bernard and Claire Cain Miller contributed reporting.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/article/small-business-loans-stimulus-grants-freelancers-coronavirus.html