Paycheck Protection Program (Updated FAQs)

We previously posted information regarding the initial release of information about the Paycheck Protection Program being implemented by the U. S. Small Business Administration (US Chamber of Commerce Issues Coronavirus Small Business Guide and Paycheck Protection Program & Disaster Relief Loan Information Released (Updated)).

If you have been following those developments, yesterday (28 April 2020) the SBA updated the FAQs and you can read and download a copy of the update directly from the SBA’s website Paycheck Protection Program Loans Frequently Asked Questions.

While the FAQ document does not have the force or effect of law or regulation, the guidance is based on the SBA’s interpretation of the CARES Act and of the Paycheck Protection Program Interim Final Rules and notes the U.S. government will not challenge any action taken by a lender in reliance upon and conforming to the guidance and any subsequent rulemaking in effect at the time.

 

 

IRS Issues Coronavirus Tax Relief Guidance

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set up a special Coronavirus Tax Relief section on its website, in order to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by COVID-19 obtain information regarding their tax and filing obligations, all of which have been affected by the pandemic.

While there is no information as of now regarding details of any stimulus or relief package, there is valuable information describing some temporary adjustments and suspensions of certain compliance programs, details of the Treasury’s extension of the deadlines for filing and federal tax payments to July 15, 2020 and a number of other releases providing tax-related guidance as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

IRS will update the information as it becomes available, so check back frequently as developments unfold.

The legal professionals at Rimon are available to help and as always, if we can’t help you – especially in these challenging times – we will assist you in finding someone who can!  Stay safe and following the recommendations of your national, state, provincial and local authorities to keep yourself, your family, colleagues and friends healthy and prevent the spread of this infection.

The Digital Economy is So Taxing

– By Stephen Díaz Gavin and Claudio Palmieri

Economic activity is not only transnational, but increasingly digital.   A business is physically located in one country, sells goods or services in another country and then declares its profits in yet a third country?  Who is the taxing authority? Where is the transaction taxed and to which government do taxes get paid? This has never been a simple question internationally, but in today’s digital world, where borderless transactions are more frequent and more common, the leaders of the G-20 countries, in the Summit declaration of 18-19 June 2012 in Mexico, decried the consequences of these developments — tax base erosion and profit shifting to lower-tax jurisdictions.  Even the proposed U.S. tax reform currently before the U.S. Congress addresses concerns about tax base erosion.

In 2013 the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) began a project to combat tax base erosion and profit shifting and the first action item of their Final Report of 2015 concludes the digital economy cannot be considered separate from the rest of the economy for tax purposes – it is increasingly becoming the economy itself.   Significantly, the OECD believes solutions lie not so much in creating new rules, but adapting existing regulations to address the new, digital environment.  Meanwhile, the European Union and some countries in Europe are making their own provisions for dealing with changes caused by the digital economy. With its Communication of September 2017, A Fair and Efficient Tax System in the European Union for the Digital Single Market, the European Commission (“EC”) announced a legislative proposal for the Digital Single Market in Europe, that is intended to be available for implementation if an adequate, ready and preferably international solution inside the G-20/OECD project framework is not implemented.  The two main policy challenges addressed by the EC are: (1) where to tax digital services provided by companies with little or no physical presence and (2) what is taxable (e.g., the value created by intangible assets, data and knowledge).  While a long term approach is favored, the EC is focused on short term measures to address some of these problems quickly such as a tax on untaxed or insufficiently taxed income generated from internet-based business activities (whether creditable against the corporate income tax or as a separate tax); a standalone gross-basis withholding tax on certain payments made to non-resident providers of goods and services ordered online; a levy on revenues generated from the provision of digital services or advertising activity.

In addition to European-wide solutions, some individual countries are also attempting to address the taxation of the digital economy.  For example, in September 2016, a bill was introduced before the Italian Parliament regarding tax measures applicable to competition in digital commercial activities (DDL S.2526 “Misure in materia fiscale per la concorrenza nell’economia digitale” del 10 novembre 2016).  The bill would not only reinforce the powers of Agenzia delle Entrate, the Italian governmental agency which collects taxes and revenue, but would introduce a “hidden permanent establishment” (“stabile organizzazione occulta”) concept which would consider revenues generated from certain types of international transactions, as income generated in Italy. For example, fees paid to non-Italian companies by Italian consumers for the purchase of software licenses distributed on the Italian market. Thus, if a U.S. company engages in online business regularly, with greater than 500 transactions in any six-month period and collecting more than € 1 Million in that same period, that company would be considered to have a “hidden permanent establishment” subject to tax by the Italian authorities.  In addition, the proposed Italian 2018 Budget Law (not yet adopted), includes a proposal for a 6% web tax on services provided by nonresident companies and individuals on revenues generated from the sale to Italian residents  of fully “dematerialised services” (e.g., intangible services such as video and audio downloads).

The common theme in these new proposals in the European Union and EU member countries suggests that governments will look increasingly to tax where economic value is delivered.   If your business is part of the digital economy you clearly need to monitor these developments and pay attention to the legislative and regulatory initiatives being considered at the national, regional and multinational levels, especially in Europe, an important market and one which appears to be moving more quickly than other regions of the world.  You can read the full Client Alert on this issue and if you need more information, have questions or would like assistance, the International Practice Group at Rimon, with an office in Rome, is particularly well suited to serve your needs.  Feel free to contact Stephen Díaz Gavin, Partner based in Washington, DC and Rome or Claudio Palmieri, Counsel to Rimon and principal of Studio Legale Palmieri – Rimon Italia,  based in Rome.   Of course, you can always contact me, Joe Rosenbaum, or any of the lawyers at Rimon with whom you regularly work.

 

US Treasury Regulation Changes Could Impact Foreign Owned Single Member LLCs

Melinda Fellner Bramwit, Partner, Rimon, P.C.

Changes to US Treasury Regulations Under Section 6038 of the Internal Revenue Code could affect filings for single member LLCs owned by non-US individuals or entities.

Many non-resident individuals and non-resident entities maintain title to real estate and other assets in single member limited liability companies incorporated under state law in the United States, for a variety of reasons.  Under Federal tax law, such an entity is disregarded for tax purposes unless the owner elects otherwise.  From a corporate perspective, these limited liability companies can be used to harness assets in an entity separate from the owner, providing a layer of corporate protection and perhaps anonymity for the ultimate owner.  These entities are also reasonably simple to form and maintain.

Changes to U.S. Treasury Regulations effective December 13, 2016, throw a wrinkle into the use of this malleable entity in some circumstances, which can be managed with some planning.

These changes require that a non-resident owning 100% of a United States limited liability company (“LLC”) file a Form 5472, an information return, when certain transactions occur between certain parties (“related” parties) and the LLC.

The following example from the regulations illustrates a scenario where this filing would be triggered:

In year 1, F, a foreign corporation forms and contributes assets to US-LLC, a U.S. limited liability company that is a disregarded entity for US Federal tax purposes.  In year 2, F contributes funds to US-LLC, and in year 3, US-LLC makes a payment to F.

Under the modified regulations, F’s payment to US-LLC as well as US-LLC’s payment back to F are both reportable transactions for which a Form 5472 would be required with respect to US-LLC.

This is a simple, yet common situation which triggers the filing requirement. It is important to note that this requirement is applicable to tax years of entities beginning on or after January 1, 2017 and ending on or after December 13, 2017 (Note: This is not a typo. The date is the 13th, not the 31st).  As such, there is a window of opportunity for tax planning to avoid the requirement of this form and if you want to know more or need help, don’t hesitate to contact me, Melinda Fellner Bramwit, a partner here at Rimon, P.C.

Of course, if you need assistance, you may always contact me, Joe Rosenbaum, or any of the lawyers with whom you routinely work at Rimon Law.