Covid-19 Tax Legislation Updates: Business Interest Deductions, Student Loan Payments And Paid Time Off

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Written by William Byrnes | Posted in TaxConnections

William Byrnes - Covid -19 Tax Legislation

More on the COVID-19 legislation and related administrative guidance from the DOL. This week we have updates on business interest deductions, student loan payment info, and DOL guidance on the PTO that was mandated by the new legislation. Are you keeping up?

CARES Act: Business Interest Deduction Relief
The CARES Act increases the 30% of adjusted taxable income (ATI) limit on the business interest deduction (as imposed under the 2017 tax reform law) to 50% for corporations in 2019 and 2020. All entities (corporations and pass-throughs) can elect to use 2019 ATI instead of 2020 ATI in determining the 2020 business interest expense deduction, which could increase the business interest deduction for businesses who are likely to see reduced income levels in 2020. For more information, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

CARES Act Offers Tax-Preferred Student Loan Repayment Assistance Option
The CARES Act includes a provision that gives employers a way to offer tax-preferred student loan repayment assistance to employees. The Act changes the definition of “educational assistance” in IRC Section 127 to also include employer payments to employees of student loan principal or interest. The payments must currently be made before January 1, 2021. The maximum benefit permitted is a $5,250 payment in 2020 (tax-free). For more information on the requirements for establishing a tax-preferred education assistance program, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

DOL Guidance on Notice Requirements Related to Expanded COVID-19 Paid Time Off
The DOL has released a notice that all employers must conspicuously post to give employees information about federal relief efforts related to COVID-19. The DOL FAQ notes that when employees are working remotely, employers can email or mail the relevant notices. The notice must be provided to all current employees, but only must be provided in English absent future guidance (a Spanish language notice is available on the DOL website). For more information on the COVID-19 relief efforts, visit Tax Facts Online. Read More

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William Byrnes

William H. Byrnes has achieved authoritative prominence with more than 20 books, treatise chapters and book supplements, 1,000 media articles, and the monthly subscriber Tax Facts Intelligence. Titles include: Lexis® Guide to FATCA Compliance, Foreign Tax and Trade Briefs, Practical Guide to U.S. Transfer Pricing, and Money Laundering, Asset Forfeiture; Recovery, and Compliance (a Global Guide). He is a principal author of the Tax Facts series. He was a Senior Manager, then Associate Director of international tax for Coopers and Lybrand, and practiced in Southern Africa, Western Europe, South East Asia, the Indian sub-continent, and the Caribbean. He has been commissioned by a number of governments on tax policy. Obtained the title of tenured law professor in 2005 at St. Thomas in Miami, and in 2008 the level of Associate Dean at Thomas Jefferson. William Byrnes pioneered online legal education in 1995, thereafter creating the first online LL.M. offered by an ABA accredited law school (International Taxation and Financial Services graduate program).