Wendy Ezell CPA PLLC

05/29/2020

Economic Impact Payments being sent by prepaid debit cards, arrive in plain envelope; IRS.gov answers frequently asked questions

www.irs.gov/eipfaq
www.irs.gov/getmypaymentfaq
EIPcard.com

05/29/2020

Employers can grant paid leave for COVID-19

05/28/2020

IRS announces Form 1040-X electronic filing options coming this summer; major milestone reached for electronic returns

05/28/2020

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund - Student Aid
Information for Students - $1000 Grant

The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund-IHE/Student Aid provides funding to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet. Students cannot apply for assistance directly from the U.S. Department of Education but should contact their institutions for further information and guidance. Institutions have the responsibility of determining how grants will be distributed to students, how the amount of each student grant is calculated, and the development of any instructions or directions that are provided to students about the grant.

The funding opportunity number is ED-GRANTS-041020-003. If you have questions concerning this program, please submit them via e-mail to [email protected]., or by phone, at 202-377-3711.

University at Arlington has posted the Cares Grant directly on students portal.

www.grants.gov

05/17/2020

Owe the IRS - The IRS provides options to pay rather than sending a voucher. The direct debit has no fees and allows you to set up payment and get an instant receipt.

https://www.irs.gov/payments

05/15/2020

Why the Economic Impact Payment amount could be different than anticipated

04/16/2020

All U.S. residents who are not a dependent of another taxpayer and have a work eligible social security number, will receive the Economic Impact Payment with adjusted gross income

04/16/2020

Save Small Business Initiative

Earlier this afternoon, the U.S. Chamber unveiled its Save Small Business Initiative to address the immediate needs of the small business community, mitigate closures and job losses, and mobilize support for long-term recovery in the wake of the economic destruction of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to a call to action for the larger business community and government to help small businesses, the four-part campaign includes supplemental financial assistance, advocacy, resources, webinars and guides, and research.

The U.S. Chamber Foundation is supporting the supplemental financial assistance by launching their Save Small Business Fund. Funded by contributions from corporate and philanthropic partners, the U.S. Chamber Foundation will be providing $5,000 supplemental grants to small employers in economically vulnerable communities.

Applications for the Save Small Business Grant Fund will open this Monday, April 20, 2020, at 3:00 p.m. ET. There are several eligibility requirements which can be found here. We encourage you to share this information with your members so they can apply for a supplemental grant if they are eligible. Chambers of Commerce may also apply if they meet the eligibility requirements

For more information on the Save Small Business Grant Fund including qualifications, the application process and FAQs.

website

To combat the economic destruction threatening the survival of small businesses in every town across America, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today launched the Save Small Business Initiative — a nationwide program to address small businesses’ immediate needs, mitigate closures and job losses, and ...

04/16/2020

Supplemental Security Income recipients will receive automatic Economic Impact Payments; step follows work between Treasury, IRS, Social Security Administration

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service, working in partnership with the Treasury Department and the Social Security Administration, announced today that recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will automatically receive automatic Economic Impact Payments.

SSI recipients will receive a $1,200 Economic Impact Payment with no further action needed on their part. The IRS projects the payments for this group will go out no later than early May.

Moving SSI recipients into the automatic payment category follows weeks of extensive cooperative work between SSA, Treasury, IRS as well as the Bureau of Fiscal Services.

“Since SSI recipients typically aren’t required to file tax returns, the IRS had to work extensively with these other government agencies to determine a way to quickly and accurately deliver Economic Impact Payments to this group,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “Additional programming work remains, but this step simplifies the process for SSI recipients to quickly and easily receive these $1,200 payments automatically. We appreciate the assistance of SSA and the Bureau of Fiscal Services in this effort.”

No action needed by most taxpayers
Earlier this month, the IRS took a similar action to ensure those receiving Social Security retirement or disability benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits can receive automatic payments of $1,200. While these groups receive Forms 1099, many in this group don’t typically file tax returns. People in these groups are expected to see the automatic $1,200 payments later this month.

Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for 2019 or 2018 will also receive the payments automatically. About 80 million payments are hitting bank accounts this week.

For benefit recipients with dependents, extra step needed to claim $500 for children

The law provides eligible taxpayers with qualifying children under age 17 to receive an extra $500. For taxpayers who filed tax returns in 2018 or 2019, the child payments will be automatic.

However, many benefit recipients typically aren’t required to file tax returns. If they have children who qualify, an extra step is needed to add $500 per child onto their automatic payment of $1,200 if they didn’t file a tax return in 2018 or 2019.

For those who receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits or SSI and have a qualifying child, they can quickly register by visiting special tool available only on IRS.gov and provide their information in the Non-Filers section. By quickly taking steps to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they can receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If beneficiaries in these groups do not provide their information to the IRS soon, they will have to wait until later to receive their $500 per qualifying child.

The Treasury Department, not the Social Security Administration, will make these automatic payments to SSI recipients. Recipients will generally receive the automatic payments by direct deposit, Direct Express debit card, or by paper check, just as they would normally receive their SSI benefits.

For those with dependents who use Direct Express debit cards, additional information will be available soon regarding the steps to take on the IRS web site when claiming children under 17.

For information about Social Security retirement, survivors and disability insurance beneficiaries, please visit the SSA website at SSA.gov.

General information about the Economic Impact Payments is available on a special section of IRS.gov.

Watch out for scams related to Economic Impact Payments
The IRS urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams related to the Economic Impact Payments. To use the new app or get information, taxpayers should visit IRS.gov. People should watch out for scams using email, phone calls or texts related to the payments. Be careful and cautious: The IRS will not send unsolicited electronic communications asking people to open attachments, visit a website or share personal or financial information. Remember, go directly and solely to IRS.gov for official information.

04/15/2020

Stimulus Payment

Let me know if you have gotten your stimulus payment.

04/15/2020

Governor Abbott, Goldman Sachs, LiftFund Announce $50 Million in Loans For Texas Small Businesses

April 13, 2020 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Goldman Sachs and the LiftFund, along with other community development financial institutions (CDFIs), are partnering to provide $50 million in loans to small businesses in Texas that have been affected by COVID-19 as part of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. These loans, made through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), will primarily be used for payroll so that employees can continue to receive paychecks and small businesses can retain their employees and will be partially or wholly forgiven.

"Small businesses and their employees are at the heart of the Texas economy, and they need support during these difficult times,” said Governor Abbott. “These loans will help us revitalize our economy and restore Texans’ livelihoods as we respond to COVID-19. I thank Goldman Sachs and the LiftFund for providing this lifeline to Texas small businesses and their employees by providing them with the support they need to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19. This partnership is an important first step in our journey to economic recovery in the state of Texas."

"We have seen first-hand the determination and resilience of small business owners in Texas, having worked alongside them for years through our 10,000 Small Businesses program," said John Waldron, President and Chief Operating Officer of Goldman Sachs. "Goldman Sachs understands that our communities and economy rely on small business and we are doing everything we can to support this vital engine of economic growth and employment."

Goldman Sachs will provide the capital as part of its $550 million commitment to COVID-19 relief, and LiftFund, alongside other CDFIs, will administer the funding to qualified small businesses. If all stipulations are met, small business can have their loans forgiven in full by the SBA. Business owners can apply for a PPP loan and find more information about the program on the LiftFund website.

The Governor was joined for the announcement by President and COO of Goldman Sachs John Waldron, President and CEO of LiftFund Janie Barrera. Also joining the Governor were Brent Reaves, owner of Smokey John’s Bar-B-Que in Dallas, Patricia and Clint Butler, owners of Coffeecionado Community Roasters in San Antonio, and Michele and Mitch Allen, owners of iRun Texas in San Antonio. The Butlers and Allens will be the first to benefit from this partnership to provide PPP loans in Texas.

LiftFund is a non-profit organization, headquartered in San Antonio, that helps small business owners with limited access to capital. The company offers small business loans and minority business loans for entrepreneurs. LiftFund partners with SBA lenders and other lending institutions to provide startup loans, SBA 504 Loans, and microloans in Texas, and throughout the South Eastern U.S. In 2018, LiftFund had 591 donors, 118 investors, 500 partners, and 100 employees.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world.