PPP Application Dates Announced
The application window for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loans will open Friday for lenders with $1 billion or less in assets, the US Small Business Administration and Treasury announced. The opening, which will take place at 9 a.m. ET and applies for both first- and second-draw PPP loans. The program will begin accepting applications for first- and second-draw loans from large lenders on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
PPP reopened Monday initially for community financial institutions (CFIs) to make loans to first-time PPP borrowers. CFIs were allowed to make second-draw loans to previous PPP recipients starting Wednesday.
CFIs typically work with underserved small businesses. SBA and Treasury granted the initial early access to PPP so these small businesses, which include many minority- and women-owned concerns, could get first crack at accessing the $284.5 billion in PPP funding approved in the part of the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill that was signed into law on Dec. 27.
PPP Funding, Forms, and Guidance
The SBA and Treasury issued guidance on Jan. 6 for the new PPP, which shares many of the same rules as the old PPP but also has some significant differences. The application forms are Form 2483 – Paycheck Protection Program Borrower Application Form and Form 2483-SD – PPP Second Draw Borrower Application Form.
Quick Overview of the New PPP
In general, first- and second-time PPP borrowers may receive a loan amount of up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs (with a cap per employee of $100,000 annualized) in 2019, 2020, or the year prior to the loan. PPP borrowers with North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes starting with 72 (such as hotels and restaurants) can receive up to 3.5 times their average monthly payroll costs on second-draw loans.
The loans are capped at $10 million for first-time borrowers and $2 million for second-time PPP borrowers.
PPP first- and second-draw loans may qualify for forgiveness if the funds are used on the following eligible costs: payroll, rent, covered mortgage interest, and utilities, covered worker protection and facility modification expenditures, covered property damage costs, covered payments to suppliers, and payments for business software or cloud computing services that facilitate business operations, product or service delivery, and a number of back-office functions, including accounting.
To be eligible for full loan forgiveness, PPP borrowers must spend no less than 60% of the funds on payroll over a covered period of their choice between eight and 24 weeks.
Borrowers are eligible for a second-draw PPP loan of up to $2 million, provided they have:
- 300 or fewer employees.
- Used or will use the full amount of their first PPP loan on or before the expected date for the second PPP loan to be disbursed to the borrower. The IFR also clarifies that the borrower must have spent the full amount of the first PPP loan on eligible expenses.
- Experienced a revenue reduction of 25% or more in all or part of 2020 compared with all or part of 2019. This is calculated by comparing gross receipts in any 2020 quarter with an applicable quarter in 2019, or, in a provision added in the IFR, a borrower that was in operation for all four quarters of 2019 can submit copies of its annual tax forms that show a reduction in annual receipts of 25% or greater in 2020 compared with 2019.
First time PPP loans are available to borrowers that were in operations on Feb. 15, 2020, and are from one of the following groups:
- Businesses with 500 or fewer employees that are eligible for other SBA 7(a) loans.
- Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and eligible self-employed individuals.
- Not-for-profits, including churches.
- Accommodation and food services operations with NAICS codes starting with 72 that have fewer than 500 employees per physical location.
- Sec. 501(c)(6) business leagues, such as chambers of commerce, visitors’ bureaus, etc., and “destination marketing organizations” that have 300 or fewer employees and do not receive more than 15% of receipts from lobbying. The lobbying activities must comprise no more than 15% of the organization’s total activities and have cost no more than $1 million during the most recent tax year that ended prior to Feb. 15. 2020. Sports leagues are not eligible.
- News organizations that are majority-owned or controlled by an NAICS code 511110 or 5151 business or not-for-profit public broadcasting entities with a trade or business under NAICS code 511110 or 5151. The size limit for this category is no more than 500 employees per location.
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