Is Your PPP Loan Tax Exempt? Better Check With an Accountant

Businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans are anxiously eyeing an IRS ruling that could affect whether they apply for loan forgiveness. In a notice this spring, the IRS said it had ruled out tax deductions for wages and rent paid with forgivable PPP loans in order to prevent a “double tax benefit.”

The ruling means that contractors cannot write off these types of expenses if they were paid for with PPP loan funds, leaving many wondering whether it will cost more in taxes than to pay the loan back.

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a forgiven PPP loan is tax-exempt but using the loan can also reduce how much a construction firm can write off on its business taxes. Usually, expenses like payroll, rent and utilities are deductible from normal taxable income, but without the deduction, a business may owe more taxes than it normally pays, the Chamber said. Read More >