The Second PPP Loan: What You Need to Know

By

Brendan Tuytel

-

Reviewed by

on

May 5, 2021

This article is Tax Professional approved

Group

On December 27, a new COVID relief bill was signed changing the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The highlight? Some businesses will be eligible for a second PPP loan. Here’s what you need to know.

What's Bench?
Online bookkeeping and tax filing powered by real humans.
Learn more
Friends don’t let friends do their own bookkeeping. Share this article.
Contents
Tired of doing your own books?
Try Bench

Editor’s note: On Tuesday, May 4th the PPP ran out of general funds and the SBA stopped accepting new PPP loan applications. A reserve of funds is still available for community financial institutions that lend to businesses run by women, minorities, and underserved communities. Additionally, a reserve of funds remains for applications previously submitted but not yet reviewed by the SBA. If you have already submitted your loan application, however, this does not guarantee you funding.



What’s updated for the second round of PPP?

If you did not receive a PPP loan in 2020, you may be eligible to apply for your first PPP loan in 2021.

If you received a PPP loan in 2020, you may be eligible to apply for a second PPP loan if your business suffered a loss in revenue in 2020.

Whether you now take your first or second PPP loan, these loans will have the same terms as the original PPP loan.

This means, like the first PPP loan, the second round of PPP loans will also be fully forgivable if you follow the forgiveness guidelines. At least 60% of the loan must be spent on payroll and the rest spent on other eligible expenses.

If the loan is not forgiven, these loans would have an interest rate of 1% and a term of five years. Loan payments are deferred for 10 months after the covered period ends or when you receive a forgiveness verdict, whichever comes first.

Who is eligible for a PPP loan in 2021?

First draw PPP loans

If the following statements apply to your business, you are eligible to apply for your first PPP loan in 2021.

  • Your business was operational before February 15, 2020
  • Your business is still open and operational
  • You have no more than 500 employees
  • If your business has multiple locations, you have no more than 500 employees per location
  • Current economic uncertainty has made a PPP loan necessary to sustain your business

Second draw PPP loans

If the following statements apply to your business, you are eligible to apply for your second PPP loan in 2021.

  • You have used up your first PPP loan
  • Your business was operational before February 15, 2020
  • Your business is still open and operational
  • You have no more than 300 employees
  • If your business has multiple locations, you have no more than 300 employees per location
  • You can show a 25% or greater reduction in gross revenue

Further reading: How to Apply for Your Second PPP Loan

Showing a 25% or greater reduction in revenue

A 25% or greater reduction can be shown in one of two ways:

  • Comparing your annual gross receipts as reported on your tax return between 2020 and 2019
  • Comparing your gross receipts in any quarter in 2020 with your gross revenue in the same quarter of 2019

Gross receipts is the total amount of money your business has received in a given period. It includes sales of products or services, interest, dividends, rents, royalties, fees, or commissions, reduced by returns and allowances.

For example, if a business wants to use the second quarter (Q2) of 2019 where they recorded $20,000 in gross receipts, they are eligible if their Q2 2020 gross revenue was $15,000 or less.

Further reading: How to Calculate a 25% Reduction in Revenue for PPP 2

How Bench can help

Comprehensive bookkeeping is the surest way to show a 25% reduction in revenue. Bench can complete your 2019 and 2020 books and create your annual profit and loss statements to represent your revenue reduction.

Whether you are applying for your first or second PPP loan, having your books completed by Bench also shows your net profit and/or payroll expenses to determine the PPP loan amount you are eligible for.

You can also submit these documents to your lender as the required supporting documents to accompany your loan forgiveness application. Learn how you can get started with Bench for free.

When do PPP applications open again?

Applications for both first and second time borrowers are open now, and close on May 31, 2021.

PPP loan amount calculation

The PPP loan amount will be calculated very similarly to the original PPP loan calculation. You are eligible for a loan equal to 2.5 times your average monthly payroll costs. Your average monthly payroll costs can be calculated using either of the following:

  • the calendar year of 2020
  • the calendar year of 2019
  • the one year period before the loan application

There are some exceptions to the loan amount calculation for certain businesses.

Food and accommodation businesses

Special consideration was given to the food and accommodation industries. Any business with a NAICS code beginning with 72 is eligible for a greater loan amount. You can check your NAICS code through a website like NAICS.com.

Businesses in these industries are eligible for a loan equal to 2.5 times your average monthly payroll costs. The average monthly payroll cost is calculated the same: using the one year period before application, the calendar year of 2020, or the calendar year of 2019.

For these businesses, you are eligible for 3.5 times your average monthly payroll costs for your second draw PPP loan only.

Seasonal businesses

To qualify as a seasonal business, you must satisfy one of the following criteria:

  • You do not operate for more than seven months in any calendar year
  • During the previous calendar year, your gross receipts for six of the 12 months were no more than 33.33% of your gross receipts from the remaining six months (e.g. if you earn $100,000 from January through June, you earn no more than $33,330.00 from July through December)

Seasonal businesses are eligible for loans equal to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll cost. But the average monthly payroll cost can be calculated using any 12-week period between February 15, 2019 and February 15, 2020.

This is the same for businesses applying for their first or second PPP loan.

Partnerships without payroll

Partnerships are eligible for 2.5 times their average monthly distributions. Their average monthly distributions is calculated by taking their distributions from their 2019 or 2020 Schedule K-1, multiplying it by 0.9235, then dividing by 12.

Sole proprietors and independent contractors

As of March 3, 2021, sole proprietors and independent contractors determine their PPP loan amount using their gross income. If they are not running payroll, the calculation starts with their gross income as reported on line 7 on a 2019 or 2020 Schedule C. Use either this number, or $100,000, whichever is smaller. Divide this number by 12 and multiply by 2.5 to find your PPP loan amount.

If payroll is being run, take line 7 and subtract the payroll costs in lines 14, 19, and 26. Use a maximum of $100,000. Divide this number by 12 and add it to your average monthly payroll expense. Multiply by 2.5 to find your PPP loan amount.

Further reading: Self-Employment, 1099s, and the Paycheck Protection Program

The expansion of PPP eligible expenses

For the first rollout of PPP loans in 2020, the eligible expenses included payroll costs, rent, and utilities expenses.

The second stimulus bill has expanded on the eligible expenses you can use your PPP loan for. These new expenses include:

  • Operations expenditures: Any software, cloud computing, or other human resources and accounting needs (like Bench).
  • Property damage costs: Any costs from damages due to public disturbances occurring in 2020 and not covered by insurance.
  • Supplier costs: Any purchase order or order of goods made prior to receiving a PPP loan essential to operations.
  • Worker protection expenditures: Any personal protection equipment or property improvements to remain COVID compliant from March 1, 2020 onwards.

These new eligible expenses now apply to all PPP loans, including those obtained prior to August 8, 2020.

Requesting an increase in your previous PPP loan amount

A request for an increase in your previous PPP loan amount is now available to some borrowers. It is open to businesses that did not take the full loan amount or returned a portion of their first loan—so long as they haven’t already applied for forgiveness.

This allows businesses to receive the difference between their original loan offer and what they ended up taking.

For example, if a business was eligible for $20,000 but only took $15,000, they can apply to receive the $5,000 they previously opted not to take.

The application process may vary from lender to lender. Check in with your original PPP loan lender for more information.

Further reading: How to Request an Increase to a PPP Loan Amount

More PPP resources

This post is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult his or her own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this post. Bench assumes no liability for actions taken in reliance upon the information contained herein.
Friends don’t let friends do their own bookkeeping. Share this article.

Join over 140,000 fellow entrepreneurs who receive expert advice for their small business finances

Get a regular dose of educational guides and resources curated from the experts at Bench to help you confidently make the right decisions to grow your business. No spam. Unsubscribe at any time.