The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides loan funds to small businesses in order to help them pay eligible expenses (payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities). These covered loans are to be fully forgiven and not to be treated as income to the loan recipients as long as the loans are used to pay eligible expenses. While it was clear that a ... more
Not for Profit
Nonprofit Purchasing Policy Considerations
Nonprofits have a multitude of compliance standards to juggle, and constructing a comprehensive nonprofit purchasing policy is no exception. Maintaining tax-exempt status requires adherence to very specific behaviors, and written policy should be reviewed periodically to ensure your organization meets or exceeds standards. Under the new procurement standards, all NPOs receiving federal awards must have a written procurement policy that outlines ... more
Pandemic Heightens Sustainable Affordable Housing Efforts
Since the PATH Act in 2015, no major federal legislation has come about to address massive shortages in affordable housing across the U.S. While the House and Senate introduced many bills since then, legislation seems to die in committee or across the aisle. Much more legislation is enacted at the state level, but we know that new affordable housing can be a tough sell at the neighborhood level. There is still a public perception that ... more
How Affordable Housing Really Happens: Finance + Community
An article last fall in the New York Times demonstrated what billions can and can’t do to bring about more affordable housing in a large metropolitan area. It can’t, for example, convince community groups to allow development in their neighborhoods or local government leaders to support it. Money alone also can’t ensure that a deal is properly structured to support sustainable affordable housing. Citing efforts by tech giants Apple, Google and ... more
FASB Updates Post COVID
As a result of COVID-19 and the disruption it is causing, FASB has issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) and Leases (ASC 842) Effective Dates for Certain Entities regarding deferral of effective dates for Revenue from Contracts with Customers and Leases. Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) According to FASB, “The deferral of the effective date applies to private ... more
Pitfalls of Revenue Recognition for Nonprofits
One of the challenges many not-for-profit organizations face is determining whether or not revenue falls under the category of a contribution or exchange transaction. In some cases, it’s a pretty straight forward determination, but the waters can occasionally become a bit murky. In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) issued the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-08, Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance ... more
SBA Revises Forms for PPP Loan Forgiveness, Including New EZ Form
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued a revised Form 3508, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application. The SBA also released a streamlined PPP Loan Forgiveness Application, Form 3508EZ. The newly issued application forms were needed to address the changes brought upon by the PPP Flexibility Act (PPPFA) of 2020. Form 3508EZ This new three-page form reduces the documentation and calculations required to apply ... more
Pitfalls of Revenue Recognition for Nonprofits
One of the challenges many not-for-profit organizations face is determining whether or not revenue falls under the category of a contribution or exchange transaction. In some cases, it’s a pretty straightforward determination, but the waters can occasionally become a bit murky. In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-08, Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance for ... more