The SBA & Treasury Department have recently released the following additional guidance:
-
Question: The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (Flexibility Act) extended the deferral period for borrower payments of principal, interest, and fees on all PPP loans to the date that SBA remits the borrower’s loan forgiveness amount to the lender (or, if the borrower does not apply for loan forgiveness, 10 months after the end of the borrower’s loan forgiveness covered period). Previously, the deferral period could end after 6 months. Are lenders and borrowers required to modify promissory notes used for PPP loans to reflect the extended deferral period?
-
Answer: The extension of the deferral period under the Flexibility Act automatically applies to all PPP loans. Lenders are required to give immediate effect to the statutory extension and should notify borrowers of the change to the deferral period. SBA does not require a formal modification to the promissory note. A modification of a promissory note to reflect the required statutory deferral period under the Flexibility Act will have no effect on the SBA’s guarantee of a PPP loan. (n.b. footnote in document)
Yesterday, SBA released the letter to the forgiveness Platform Authorizing Officials (AO) noting that SBA has begun remitting PPP loan forgiveness payments to lenders.
