Did you have an employee who was unable to work or telework due to reasons related to COVID-19 and who received wages under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)? If you answer yes, did you know that these wages need to be included on Form W2 in Box 14 in addition to being included with the employee’s other taxable income in Box 1, 3, 5, and 16? Per guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), employers must separately state the total amount of qualified sick leave wages and qualified family leave wages paid. There are three different categories to be used when determining COVID wages: National Paid Leave Employee: Your employee is sick and under quarantine with COVID-19. National Paid Leave Family: Your Read More...
Advanced Biofuel Payment Program Opens Tomorrow!
Sept 30, 2020 The USDA Advanced Biofuel Payment Program opens tomorrow for Fiscal Year 2021. Its goal is to increase US energy independence by increasing the supply of renewable energy in the public sector. The application window is open from Oct. 1 to Oct 30 so time is short! The USDA is strongly advising applicants to conduct research before submitting their applications. Christianson PLLP can assist all types of producers with their applications and requests for quarterly payments. Applications & Eligibility Any entity that produces and sells advanced biofuel is eligible to apply. An advanced biofuel producer can be an individual, corporation, company, foundation, association, labor organization, firm, partnership, society, Read More...
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2)
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will provide a second round of direct relief (CFAP 2) to producers who faced price declines and additional costs due to COVID-19. About the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program According to the USDA: President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on September 17 that USDA will implement an expansion of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) will provide producers with financial assistance to help offset some of the increased costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The CFAP 2 effective payment rate for crops will be multiplied by acreage and the APH yield. Here Read More...
AGRI Livestock Investment Grant
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced this month that there are funds available to update livestock operations. The AGRI Livestock Investment Grant provides up to 10% of project costs for livestock operation improvements, updates, or equipment, for projects during 2021 or 2022. This opportunity closes in a few short weeks, so apply now! AGRI Livestock Investment Grant Eligibility Minnesota livestock* farmers may apply. Applicants must be: in good standing with the state of Minnesota (no back taxes) a current Minnesota resident or a business entity that has authorization to farm in Minnesota the principal operator of the farm *"Livestock" is defined as: beef cattle, dairy cattle, swine, poultry, goats, mules, Read More...
Form W2 Must Include FFCRA Wages
Have you paid out any Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) sick leave or expanded family leave wages in 2020? If so, you will need to report those amounts on the employee’s 2020 Form W2 in either Box 14 or on a separate statement that goes with the Form W2. The required reporting provides employees who are also self-employed with information necessary for properly claiming qualified sick leave equivalent or qualified family leave equivalent credits under the FFCRA. This additional reporting is intended to keep a taxpayer from receiving more than the maximum benefit amount for each type of sick and family leave as stated in the FFCRA. The FFCRA wages for sick and expanded family leave will be reported in Boxes 1, 3 (up to the Read More...
MN Employee Notice – Are You Still in Compliance?
Have you hired a new employee in 2020? Have you changed pay rates or paid time-off policies? If so, did you know that you are required to inform your employees in writing of those types of changes? In July 2019, Minnesota’s Wage Theft Law became effective and required MN employers to provide each employee with a written notice at the start of employment that included basic terms of employment and to keep a copy of the noticed signed by the employee on file. The Wage Theft Law also requires an employer to provide a written notice when any of the terms of their employment changes. When is a Change Notice Required? When information required on the notice changes, such as a pay rate, the employer must inform the employee in writing of Read More...
School is starting – What does that mean for FFCRA?
With schools opening this fall utilizing a variety of learning models, employees may be wondering if they qualify for the paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) since the school may not technically be “closed”. The US Department of Labor recently released updated guidance regarding the eligibility for paid leave relative to the varied formats and schedules schools may be utilizing. Here's what that guidance states: Scenario 1 – School is operating exclusively online If the physical location where your child receives instruction is now closed and your child is expected or required to complete assignments at home, the school is “closed” for purposes of paid sick leave and expanded family and medical Read More...
Payroll Tax Deferral Guidance Released
We published last week that we were still awaiting guidance for the Payroll Tax Deferral and that guidance was released late Friday. The Presidential Memorandum for deferring the employee portion of Social Security becomes effective tomorrow, September 1st. Limited guidance was released late on August 28th. Highlights are noted below: Employers have the option to defer the withholding and payment of the employee’s portion of Social Security tax on wages paid from September 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Determination of applicable wages is to be made on a per pay period basis. Deferral applies to any employee whose pretax wages or compensation are less than the following amounts per applicable pay period. Biweekly - Read More...
MN Applies for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA)
On August 28th, the State of Minnesota applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program that was authorized in the presidential memo on August 8th. With the necessary prep work already completed, the Unemployment Insurance program will begin to pay benefits as soon as FEMA approves the state’s application. The Lost Wages Assistance benefits are retroactive to the week ending August 1, 2020. LWA will provide a temporary additional $300 a week benefit to people receiving unemployment benefits. To be eligible, an applicant must have a weekly unemployment benefit amount of at least $100 and must be unemployed due to COVID-19. Those already receiving unemployment benefits do not need to reapply or Read More...
HBIIP – Christianson & RFA Process over $31M
Retailers recently applied for up to $100 million through the USDA for higher blend renewable fuel infrastructure. Christianson PLLP, working with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) in tandem with local retailers was an integral part of the application process for over $31 million dollars in HBIIP funding to facilitate increased sales of ethanol and biodiesel. The Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) grant program is intended to make available up to $100 million in competitive grants for activities designed to increase the sales and use of higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel. Transportation fueling facilities and fuel distribution facilities were eligible including: Fueling stations, convenience stores, Read More...
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- …
- 24
- Next Page »