May 6, 2020
The Small Business Administration (SBA) updated its
Payment Protection Program (PPP) FAQs
yesterday. The SBA is extending the repayment date for this safe harbor to May 14, 2020. Borrowers do not need to apply for this extension. This extension will be promptly implemented through a revision to the SBA’s interim final rule providing the safe harbor. The SBA intends to provide additional guidance on how it will review the certification prior to May 14, 2020.
This extension is generally directed at businesses that applied for and received a PPP loan whom the SBA deems have sufficient capital and thus not eligible for the PPP loan. The eligibility guidance was not clear originally, and the SBA issued additional guidance stating that all borrowers must assess their economic need for a PPP loan under the standard established by the CARES Act and the PPP regulations at the time of the loan application. Even though the CARES Act suspends the ordinary requirement that borrowers must be unable to obtain credit elsewhere (as defined in section 3(h) of the Small Business Act), borrowers still must certify in good faith that their PPP loan request is necessary. Specifically, before submitting a PPP application, all borrowers should review carefully the required certification that “current economic uncertainty makes this loan request necessary to support the ongoing operations of the applicant.”
Borrowers must make this certification in good faith, taking into account their current business activity and their ability to access other sources of liquidity sufficient to support their ongoing operations in a manner that is not significantly detrimental to the business. For example, it is unlikely that a public company with substantial market value and access to capital markets will be able to make the required certification in good faith, and such a company should be prepared to demonstrate to SBA, upon request, the basis for its certification. Given the vagueness of the SBA guidance many companies remain unclear on this issue. We strongly recommend having both quantitative and qualitative support for your need for this loan.
Lenders may rely on a borrower’s certification regarding the necessity of the loan request. Any borrower that applied for a PPP loan prior to the issuance of this guidance and repays the loan in full by May 14, 2020 will be deemed by SBA to have made the required certification in good faith.
We recommend that you read the
PPP FAQs
to determine your eligibility for a loan and the possibility of forgiveness.
We will continue to monitor this and keep you abreast of changes. Please visit our
COVID-19 Resource Page
for more updates.
Feel free to contact any member of our team at (610) 828-1900 (PA) or (732) 341-3893 (NJ) with questions. Rich Higgins, CPA, managing principal – New Jersey office can be contacted at
Richard.Higgins@MCC-CPAs.com
. I can be reached at
Marty.McCarthy@MCC-CPAs.com
. As always, we are happy to help.
Stay safe,
Marty McCarthy, CPA, CCIFP
Managing Partner
McCarthy & Company
Source: Small Business Administration
Disclaimer: This alert is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Information contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used as tax advice, and cannot be used by the recipient to avoid penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code. We strongly advise you to seek professional assistance with respect to your specific issue(s).
