Friday, May 1, 2020

How the Coronavirus Stimulus Left Small Businesses High and Dry

For millions of struggling small businesses across the country, a small hand up from Uncle Sam could go a long way.

The program's structure is hopelessly confusing, which has left many beleaguered businesses not receiving the money they need.

Since PPP loans started flowing in early April, there's been lots of press about large restaurant and entertainment chains jostling for taxpayer dollars meant for small businesses.

The SBA's Interim Final Rules on the program keep investor-backed businesses on the sidelines, forcing these companies to choose between taxpayer and investor dollars.

Current rules force them to add the employee counts of their "Affiliates" to their own totals, in effect ballooning the small company's employee count and catapulting it outside the PPP eligibility threshold.

If an investor-backed small business employs 25 people but the investment firm that has a stake in the business aggregately employs more than 500 people, the 25-employee company is ineligible.

Even small companies that receive backing from investors can and will struggle in this current environment.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/how-the-coronavirus-stimulus-left-small-businesses-high-and-dry/

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