The Chamber of Commerce will recognize outstanding individuals at its Annual Meeting, sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities, on Wednesday, February 10th. Nominees for the awards are as follows:

Small Business of the Year – Sponsored by First Columbia Bank & Trust
Bason Coffee Roasting
Diversified Technology Corp

Large Business of the Year – Sponsored by DRIVE
Bloomsburg University
First Columbia Bank & Trust
McKonly & Asbury
Service 1st Federal Credit Union

Community Progress – Sponsored by Atlantic Broadband
Cats in Bloom
Diversified Technology Corp
PB&J Bar
Quality Inn Bloomsburg
Town of Bloomsburg

Nonprofit of the Year – Sponsored by PNC Bank
Berwick Area YMCA
Bloomsburg Volunteer Ambulance
Bucknell & Wilkes SBDC
Community Giving Foundation
Danville Child Development Center
Good Samaritan

Outstanding Citizen – Sponsored by the Berwick Industrial Development Association
To be announced at Annual Meeting

Mask-up Sponsor: Geisinger
Media Sponsor: Bold Gold Media

Help us to celebrate all of the nominees by attending the Annual Meeting virtually via Zoom. Register online or by calling the Chamber at 570-784-2522 by February 9th.

From McKonly & Asbury, LLP

For most businesses, the Employee Retention Credit has fallen into the category of, “nice idea, but doesn’t really apply.”  The reason for this was that if you took a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, you were not eligible for the Employee Retention Credit. If you didn’t take a PPP loan, there’s a good chance that’s because you have more than 500 employees and weren’t eligible. At this point, you may have looked at the Employee Retention Credit, but there probably wasn’t much (if anything) there as you would have had to either (a) been shut down by a government mandate or (b) had a revenue drop of 50% AND (c) paid people NOT to work. There aren’t a ton of businesses that fell into this category.

With the latest legislation though, EVERYTHING has changed. First, we’re going to start calling it the ERC, as I’m not sure how much more typing the whole thing out my fingers can take. Second, if you took a PPP loan, you can now take the ERC. At the risk of sounding dramatic, this is HUGE, particularly if you have fewer than 100 employees.

Here’s why – in Pennsylvania, all non-life-sustaining businesses had to close their physical locations on March 19, 2020. Many businesses received waivers to reopen, and the list of life-sustaining businesses was later revised, but if your PA business was, at any point in time, deemed a non-life-sustaining business, there is little argument that your operations were not fully or partially suspended during any calendar quarter in 2020 due to orders from an appropriate governmental authority. Thus, you qualify for Q1 2020. Plus, if you have fewer than 100 employees (measured as an average of 2019), ALL wages paid after March 12, 2020, qualify, and you are eligible for a credit of 50% of up to $10,000 of these qualifying wages.

SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?
You need to answer these two questions:

1. Is, or at any point in time was, your business deemed to be a non-life-sustaining business and forced to close its physical locations by PA mandate in 2020? Or, did your business’ revenue drop by more than 50% for any quarter in 2020?
2. Do you have fewer than 100 employees? Or, did you pay employees even though they couldn’t work (working from home counts as work)?

If the answer to these two questions is yes, let us help you dig further to see what’s there. Even if you got a PPP loan and received full forgiveness (or plan to), there’s a really, really, really good chance that you still have plenty of payroll costs that would be eligible for the ERC.

You can reach out to Mark Heath, Partner & Director of Tax Services, at McKonly & Asbury at mheath@macpas.com.

The recently approved COVID-19 relief and stimulus package includes $284 billion in forgivable, federally backed loans for hard-hit small businesses, non-profits, and live venues across the nation – including those in Pennsylvania.

The PA Chamber invites businesses statewide to hear directly from U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley as they share key insights into the latest round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, including important changes to PPP guidelines, eligibility, forgiveness and more.  

Webinar Highlights

• SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza and U.S. Chamber EVP and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley provide key guidance for businesses on the latest round of PPP loans, including eligibility, forgiveness, and the application process
• Businesses have an opportunity to engage in Q&A with the guest speakers and PA Chamber President and CEO Gene Barr

This one-hour webinar will be held on Thursday, January 7th from 11 a.m.- noon and is FREE and open to Pennsylvania’s business community at large – including PA Chamber members and non-members – as part of the PA Chamber’s Bringing PA Back initiative.

Relevant to this webinar, on December 30th,  McKonly & Asbury Partners, David Blain and Mark Heath discussed the COVID and tax-related sections, including: stimulus checks, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, expansion of the Employee Retention Credit, during their webinar-Latest COVID Relief Bill and What’s in it for Business.  The webinar is available here. 

State Grant Awarded for Construction of HUB at Mills in Bloomsburg

Community Strategies Group (CSG) was awarded a $1,000,000 grant through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to assist in the construction of the HUB at Mills, according to Senator John R. Gordner (R-27) and Representative David R. Millard (R-109).

The funds will be used to help construct commercial office space for agencies providing services to neighboring Mulberry Mills Apartments for low-income seniors. This will ultimately include a community park, featuring Bloomsburg’s first dog park, exercise stations for senior citizens and more. The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is also planning on relocating its offices in the building.

“This is a great project that will be an asset to many citizens of downtown Bloomsburg,” said Senator Gordner. “I want to congratulate CSG for its excellent vision and a successful application.”

“This will be a fantastic addition to our town and residents of all ages will benefit from it,” added Representative Millard.

The Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) is a Commonwealth grant program administered by the Office of the Budget for the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. RACP projects are authorized in the Redevelopment Assistance section of a Capital Budget Itemization Act, have a regional or multi-jurisdictional impact, and generate substantial increases or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenues, or other measures of economic activity. RACP projects are state-funded projects that cannot obtain primary funding under other state programs.

How to Successfully Start a Business During a Pandemic

Are you interested in opening your own business? Are you wondering how it is possible to do during a time of uncertainty? The pandemic doesn’t mean that you have to postpone starting a business. Join the members of the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center for a free five-week series to learn how you can successfully begin a business and rise to meet the new demands of the market. 

From PA CareerLink

The PA CareerLink is providing virtual opportunities for businesses all throughout the month of January.  

Weekly Virtual Job Fairs
Register now to secure your spot in our weekly job fairs!

Choose the dates you want to attend!

If you have any questions, please email tkohler@tiu11.org or call Theresa Kohler at 570.337.5474.

New Hire Reporting
Did you know that new hire reporting is required by law within 20 days of the start date?

This seminar will help you understand:

• Why, how, and when you must report new hires
• Reporting of newly hired, rehired, recalled, and temporary employees
• How to utilize the PA CareerLink site to report new hires
• Your impact, and the importance of participation in the PA New Hire Reporting Program

January 12th session, click here!
January 14th session, click here!

Employer Seminar
Learn how to Connect with Your Future Workforce on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021.

Luke Zeigler of the Central PA Workforce Development Corporation, will share information about Path to Careers and how to include your company profile on the website to strengthen your connection with educators and students.

Register for this virtual seminar today!

From McKonly & Asbury

Just in time for the holiday season, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the long-awaited addendum to the 2020 Compliance Supplement on December 22, 2020. This addendum provides important updates to COVID-19 related federal funding and the impact to Single Audits. This addendum, along with the original Compliance Supplement issued earlier in the year, is effective for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2019 (i.e. June 30, 2020 fiscal years and later).

For audited entities whose Single Audits have been delayed, the addendum provides for a 3-month audit submission extension for Single Audits of 2020 year-ends through September 30, 2020. This extension is only available if the recipient entity received COVID-19 funding. There is no approval required for the extension, but documentation must be maintained for the reason of the delay. For those entities with June 30, 2020 year-ends, with COVID-19 funding, the deadline for submission of the Single Audit is now June 30, 2021 (as opposed to March 31, 2021).

Other items addressed in this addendum include:

• An updated matrix of compliance requirements subject to audit
• Updated agency requirements for new COVID-19 programs, existing programs impacted by COVID-19, and some non-COVID-19 additions
• Reporting of provider relief funds (expenditures and lost revenues) on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards (SEFA)
• Treatment of the receipt of donated personal protective equipment on the SEFA

The addendum also clarifies that for existing federal programs that received funding under the CARES Act that are not included in the addendum, auditors should perform reasonable procedures to ensure the compliance procedures included in the 2020 Compliance Supplement are current.

A copy of the full addendum can be found here.

The 2020 Compliance Supplement issued in August 2020 can be found here.

If you have any questions regarding the 2020 OMB Compliance Supplement, or this recent addendum, and how they may impact your nonprofit organization, contact Jim Shellenberger, Principal, at jshellenberger@macpas.com.

Has your organization recently joined the Chamber of Commerce? Or perhaps you have been a member for longer but would like a refresher on what benefits are available to and what the Chamber is doing on a daily basis on behalf of its members? Or maybe you’re not a member and are interested in learning more about what the Chamber can do for your organization?  Whatever the case, anyone is welcome to attend The Columbia Montour Chamber’s Member Orientation, which will be held virtually, Thursday, January 28th from 8:30-9:30 a.m.  This orientation will help you discover the multitude of benefits and marketing opportunities offered through the Chamber, as well as its ongoing initiatives aimed at economic and community development.  

Register today online or by calling 570-784-2522.  A Zoom meeting link will be sent upon registration.

Member Orientations are sponsored by USG, Kawneer, Bloomsburg University, First Columbia Bank & Trust Co., SEKISUI KYDEX, PPL Electric Utilities, Geisinger, and First Keystone Community Bank.

From rabbittransit

rabbittransit offers the following winter weather travel tips:

• Plan Ahead: Extreme winter weather may cause delays in paratransit service, so please plan ahead and allow extra time for travel. This is especially important if you’re making a new trip or one you are not completely familiar with. If you need to update a standing ride or cancel a trip, call 1-800-632-9063.
• Dress Warmly: Remember to dress for winter conditions. Vehicles will become cold during the loading and unloading process.
• Step Carefully: Bus floors and steps become slippery from snow and ice. Kick the snow or other precipitation from your shoes before stepping on board. Use the handrails and take your time. Always maintain three points of contact—one hand and two feet or two hands and one foot—when boarding the bus.
• Stay Informed: In case of inclement weather, rabbittransit may have delays. Sign up for Rider Alerts to receive an email or text message about unexpected service changes. Visit rabbittransit.org to sign up today.

Don’t forget to wear your mask! rabbittransit requires that passengers wear masks on board for the safety of all on the vehicle.

SEDA-COG Assists Communities, Businesses with $28.5M in COVID Funds

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) has responded to the COVID-19 crisis by assisting communities and businesses with $28.5 million of COVID funds in its 11-county region from March through October.

In addition to the COVID funds, the agency’s total investment in the region from January 2019 through June 2020 was $511.2 million.

SEDA-COG Board President Rich Ridgway thanked the agency for its assistance.

“As board president, I have been more involved than ever with SEDA-COG this year, and I am grateful to their exhaustive efforts to fill the glaring gaps left by this pandemic. This agency is first-rate at how it continually adapts to the ever-changing economic climate presented to it since its founding in 1957,” Ridgway said.

Mike Fisher, SEDA-COG assistant executive director, said the agency has sought to meet its member counties’ needs throughout the economic crisis the pandemic has wrought.

“We know this is an incredibly difficult time for people and businesses. We saw a way we could provide further assistance by assisting with COVID-specific funds in our communities,” Fisher said. “Our staff has gone above and beyond, especially during these extraordinary circumstances, to meet our counties’ needs.”

As part of the agency’s total investment, SEDA-COG helped to administer $25.8 million in COVID-19 County Relief Block Grant (CRBG) funds on behalf of five of its counties, in addition to $980,000 for Sullivan County.

The CRBG funds are for the prevention, preparedness, and response to the COVID-19 crisis. Funds were used to assist municipalities, small businesses, and nonprofits pay for COVID-related costs. The funds are from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act), through the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

SEDA-COG provided professional expertise and grant administrative services for the CRBG funds, as well as activity development and management to ensure accuracy and adherence with federal and state regulations.

Additionally, SEDA-COG loaned $2.6 million to 30 businesses. The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) had awarded SEDA-COG $6.3 million from the CARES Act for these COVID-related revolving loan funds. 

Finally, SEDA-COG invested $101,632 in 28 homes through the LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program. Residents in seven of SEDA-COG’s counties had their heating unit repaired or replaced at no cost through August, thanks to CARES Act funds the agency secured. awarded to the agency. The Crisis program normally ends in April, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was extended from May through August.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.

SEDA-COG’s COVID-related assistance in the region (March – October 2020):
$28.5 million total:

• $25.8 million administration of CRBG funds
• $2.6 million loaned to 30 businesses from EDA funds
• $101,632 invested in 28 homes from LIHEAP Recovery Crisis Program

McKonly & Asbury Offering Webinar to Discuss Latest COVID Relief Bill and What’s in it for Businesses

Join us as McKonly & Asbury Partners, David Blain and Mark Heath discuss the COVID and tax-related sections of this $2.3 trillion budget bill, including: stimulus checks, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, expansion of the Employee Retention Credit, and more. The webinar will be held on Wednesday, December 30th at 2 pm.

During this webinar, attendees will receive:

• An update and guidance on PPP2.
• Clarity on taxation matters regarding PPP funds.
• Revised guidance on the Employee Retention Credit and other tax matters.

Register here. We look forward to you joining us for this webinar! Remember to visit our events page which contains details on all upcoming and past events at www.macpas.com/events.

Updated 12/28/20

The latest COVID relief package passed by Congress on Monday, December 21^st extends financial assistance programs for small businesses, non-profit organizations, and unemployed workers. President Trump signed the legislation on Sunday, December 27th. 

The $900 billion relief bill includes $284 billion for renewal of the Paycheck Protection Program. Organizations with less than 300 employees can apply for a “second draw” of up to $2 million. Terms of the program are expanded to allow employers to claim eligible expenses over a period of 8 to 24 weeks and those expenses could include operations, property damage stemming from public disturbance not covered by insurance, supplier costs, and worker protection. The 60% payroll rule still applies.

Small businesses can also apply for an initial PPP loan.

Businesses in the restaurant and hospitality industries are eligible to receive loans of 3.5 times average monthly payroll, rather than 2.5 times for other businesses. 

Organizations receiving forgivable loans will not have a tax liability for loan proceeds and loans of up to $150,000 will have a one-page forgiveness application.

$20 billion in Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance grants is also appropriated. The program will provide priority for the $10,000 grant to employers with less than 300 employees, located in low-income neighborhoods, that have experienced a 30% reduction in gross receipts during any 8-week period between March 2, and December 31, 2020 compared to a comparable 8-week period before March 2. Organizations meeting that description that received a grant less than $10,000 can reapply to receive the difference.

EIDL advances will not reduce PPP loan forgiveness and are not included in taxable income.

Additionally, $15 billion in grants are being dedicated to helping live venues stay afloat.

The PPP and EIDL programs are expected to reopen quickly upon approval.

The Employee Retention Tax Credit is extended through June 30, 2021. The prior credit was 50% on $10,000 in qualified wages for the whole year (or a maximum of $5,000 per employee). The new credit, beginning January 1, is 70% on $10,000 in wages per quarter (or a maximum $14,000 per employee through June 30th). 

The new law also expands which employers are eligible. Prior to the new law, the employee retention tax credit applied only to an employer who experienced a decline in gross receipts of more than 50% in a quarter compared to the same quarter in 2019. Eligibility is now expanded to include employers who experienced a decline of more than 20%.

Employers can also apply to the PPP program and take advantage of the tax credit program, provided the same wages are not used.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has compiled an updated guide with FAQs for the PPP, EIDL, Employee Retention Tax Credit, and SBA Loan Debt Forgiveness programs. On Tuesday, December 21^st, the U.S. Chamber hosted a webinar to provide an overview of these program updates in the latest package. A recording of that webinar is available here.

In terms of extended unemployment benefits, two expiring CARES Act programs – Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation – are extended from December 26 to March 14. The legislation also adds $300 to weekly unemployment benefits.

The Congressional package also includes another round of stimulus payments of $600 for individuals, $1,200 for couples filing jointly making up to $150,000 per year, plus $600 per child.

Additional details will be kept up to date on the Chamber’s website.