In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Congress has passed legislation to encourage continued payment of wages and benefits by providing relief to employers in the form of payroll-related tax credits, loans, and tax-deferral programs, including:
- for businesses with fewer than 500 employees, tax credits to cover the cost of paid sick and paid family leave coverage required for those employees;
- tax-free forgiveness of certain government-guaranteed loans to small businesses to cover payroll and operating expenses during the coronavirus pandemic;
- a payroll tax credit for qualifying wages during a time when the employer’s business has been suspended or experienced a significant decline in revenue; and
- deferral of an employer’s portion of 2020 Social Security taxes not recovered under the payroll tax credit.
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