How the Upcoming Round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Works

Summary

A Bluevine blog post by the team at Bluevine, dated December 23, 2020, titled How the Upcoming Round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Works. It states that Congress reopened the PPP with $284.5B allocated for First and Second Draws and simplified loan forgiveness for loans under $150K, and that the round started on Jan 13, 2021 and lasts until Mar 31, 2021. It says a Second Draw amount is 2.5x average monthly 2019 or 2020 payroll (3.5x for food services), for borrowers with no more than 300 employees and a 25% or more drop in gross revenue. A note at the top says Bluevine funded 155,000 small businesses with $4.5+ billion.

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“How the Upcoming Round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Works.” Original at www.bluevine.com. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/how-the-upcoming-round-of-the-paycheck-protection-program-ppp-works-6c3aec4209/, SHA-256 908aaaeee27d7908bec7c62ffc4d63fc793ff4471a52e1a02bb83ab3bca67524.

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How the Upcoming Round of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Works

By the team at Bluevine December 23, 2020 4 min read

Update: Paycheck Protection Program has ended

It was our honor to have supported more than 300,000 small businesses with COVID-19 relief loans to help them cover expenses, pay employees and get back on their feet. For the best tips on running and scaling your growing business, check out the latest on our blog:

How to Generate New Streams of Revenue for Your Business

Congress signed the new Coronavirus stimulus bill into law on Dec 27, 2020. We’re still awaiting additional guidance from the SBA on rules for the program.

Since 2013, Bluevine has provided over 200,000 small business owners with access to financing and banking services. When COVID-19 hit, we took action to provide SBA Paycheck Protection Program loans, funding 155,000 small businesses with $4.5+ billion and saving 450,000 jobs.

Unlike traditional banks, we’re proud to serve even the smallest of businesses—our median PPP loan size is $19,862. A recent industry study shows fintech companies reached many underserved minority-owned businesses, and nearly a third of our PPP loans went to those in the most disadvantaged communities.

New Coronavirus stimulus package commits $284.5B to small businesses

Congress reopened the PPP with $284.5B allocated for First and Second Draws and simplified loan forgiveness for loans under $150K.

Here’s a high-level summary of the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) round included in the bill:

Timeline | This round of PPP started on Jan 13, 2021 and lasts until Mar 31, 2021. Bluevine is now accepting applications for PPP.
Basic two-prong structure | First Draw PPP Loan: Small businesses that did not receive a loan under the first PPP program may be eligible for a loan under this new round Second Draw PPP Loan: Small businesses that received a PPP loan under the first PPP program may be eligible for a second loan
Amount | $284.5B Some portions are earmarked (i.e., these are amounts the SBA will hold in reserve and are not limits): $15B for SMBs with ten or fewer employees or loans of less than $250k in low-income areas $25B for Second Draw PPP Loans for businesses with 10 or fewer employees or loans of less than $250k in low-income areas $35B for Initial Draw PPP Loans
Eligible borrowers | Businesses, some nonprofit organizations, self-employed workers, and independent contractors are among those eligible Existing PPP borrowers may apply for a Second Draw loan, provided they have 300 or fewer employees and can demonstrate they experienced a 25% reduction in gross receipts during a quarter in 2020 compared with the same quarter in 2019 BVSUP-00002 Additional eligible borrowers include: Housing co-ops with no more than 300 employees Certain broadcast and news organizations 501(c)(6) nonprofits and “destination marketing organizations” that generally don’t engage in lobbying and have fewer than 300 employees
New ineligible businesses and others (First Draw) | Businesses not in operation as of Feb 15, 2020 Businesses that received grants under the new “live venue” program Publicly-traded companies The President, Vice President, heads of executive departments, Members of Congress, and their spouses
Second Draw Eligibility | Must: Use First Draw funds before applying for a Second Draw Have no more than 300 employees Be in operation as of Feb 15, 2020 25% or more drop in gross revenue Note: Currently, there are no restrictions on working with a different lender for the Second Draw.
Second Draw eligibility | Lobbying organizations Entities affiliated with China or Hong Kong Anyone representing a foreign government Businesses that receive grants under the new “live venue” program Businesses with multiple locations and over 300 employees per location
Second Draw amount | Amount of Second Draw = 2.5x average monthly 2019 or 2020 payroll (3.5x for food services). Hard cap at $2M Can only get one Second Draw
Expenses that count as “Payroll” | “Payroll Costs” means: Sum of payments to employees that are A salary, wage, commission Tips Vacation, parental, family, medical or sick pay Allowance for dismissal or separation Payment for group health care benefits, including insurance premiums Payment of retirement benefits Payment of state or local tax on employee compensation (e.g., payroll tax) New expenses that count as payroll include employer-provided group insurance benefits (life, disability, vision, and dental).
New definition for seasonal employers | The new bill defines a seasonal employer to be an eligible recipient if it: (1) operates for no more than seven months in a year, or (2) earned no more than 1/3 of its receipts in any six months in the prior calendar and this definition applies to any loan made before, on, or after enactment including the forgiveness of the loan.
Live venue grants | SBA can provide grants to live venues. Recipients can’t participate in PPP.
Interest | Interest on PPP is non-compounding.

Updates to PPP Loan Forgiveness

Forgiveness eligible expenses | Expanded to include: New “covered operations” like software, cloud computing, and similar operating expenses Certain property damage Essential supplier costs Worker protections Eligible “Payroll” expenses now include group insurance (life, disability, vision, and dental). Allows existing loans to use the new expenses for forgiveness.
Covered Period (for forgivable expenses) | The Covered Period for the previous PPP round was 8 or 24 weeks. Now the Covered Period for all loans (including those made before this new law) can be 8 weeks, 24 weeks, or anywhere in between (no later than March 31, 2021).
Sub-$150k borrowers simplified form | Simplified, one-page certification that only requires the following for forgiveness: Description of employees they retained because of PPP Estimated amount of PPP spent on payroll Total amount of their PPP loan The SBA released new forms, which you can find here . If you already received a PPP loan from Bluevine, we are not yet ready to accept forgiveness applications. We’ll email you once you can submit your online application.
Second Draw | Forgiven in the same manner as First Draw.
EIDL reductions | EIDL advances will no longer reduce the amount by which a borrower has its PPP loan forgiven. SBA will issue rules for borrowers who already received forgiveness.
Tax implications | Any expenses you use to apply for forgiveness are now also tax-deductible. BVSUP-00035

We’re eager to do what we can to help small businesses and will continue to keep our website updated with PPP news and Bluevine application availability. You can also sign up for regular updates from our team, including when you can apply.

Originally published December 23, 2020

Disclaimer

This content is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice of any type, such as financial, legal, tax, or accounting advice. This content does not necessarily state or reflect the views of Bluevine or its partners. Please consult with an expert if you need specific advice for your business. For information about Bluevine products and services, please visit the Bluevine FAQ page.

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