On Friday, March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. This package allocates $2 trillion toward an effort to give economic relief to individuals, small businesses, healthcare providers, and parts of the economy that are heavily affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The CARES Act is large, with many programs that affect several sectors, so we have aggregated content and summarized in a way that is hopefully more focused as this Act applies to you.
Tax returns are typically due on April 15th, however, the tax return due date has been extended to July 15th. Currently, the 2020 second quarter estimated tax payments are still due on June 15th.
A temporary Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program is created to offer payment to those who are not traditionally eligible for unemployment benefits. This program runs through December 31, 2020 and will give up to $600/week to each recipient for up to four months.
$100 million in federal grant funding has been allocated to help employers reduce employee hours rather than laying off workers. Impacted employees will get a pro-rated unemployment benefit.
The Treasury Secretary has $500 billion for loans, loan guarantees, and other investments to help support industries that have been or will be heavily impacted by the pandemic. This includes States and municipalities with direct or indirect losses as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
Provides a payroll tax credit for 50% of wages paid up to $10,000 to qualifying employers whose operations were fully or partially suspended, or whose gross receipts declines by more than 50% during the pandemic.
Requires that all COVID-19 testing is covered by group health plans and individual market issuers including tests without emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Tests are to be covered with no member cost-sharing.
Commercial insurers are required to pay either:
1. The contracted rate between the provider and the insurer in effect before the public health emergency was declared
OR
2. If there is no contract, a cash price posted on a public website by the provider
Commercial insurers are required to cover any coronavirus preventive service as defined by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Any Medicare and Medicare Advantage organization must cover any COVID-19 vaccines with no cost-sharing.
A safe harbor is established for HDHPs that have telehealth benefits and other remote care services before patients satisfy the applicable minimum deductible. (Most EMI Health medical plans have TeleMedicine included with $0 copays)
We recommend that individuals and business owners consult with you tax professionals to learn more about how each of these provisions as well as others included in the CARES Act apply to you specifically.
Read the bill in full here.