New PPP forgiveness guidance addresses owner-employee compensation, rent-related costs

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury issued an interim final rule Monday addressing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgiveness issues related to owner-employee compensation and the eligibility of nonpayroll costs.

Specifically, the interim final rule establishes that owner-employees with less than a 5% stake in a C or S corporation are exempted from the PPP owner-employee compensation rule for determining the amount of their compensation for loan forgiveness. The exemption’s intent is to cover owner-employees who have no meaningful ability to influence decisions over how loan proceeds are allocated, according to the interim final rule. Read more