Paycheck Protection Safe Harbor Provision

In response to a recent announcement that the Small Business Administration would review any Paycheck Protection Program loans allocated in amounts exceeding $2 million, on May 13, 2020 the agency issued additional FAQ answers, by releasing questions 46 and 47. In the FAQs, the SBA noted that it will extend an automatic safe harbor to […]


CARES Act: Employee Retention Credit

When you mention the CARES Act, most people will think of two things; the $1,200 individual stimulus check or the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program. They may even mention the SBA’s Emergency Injury Disaster Loan and the Treasury’s Main Street Lending Program, however, many have overlooked the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). The ERC was […]


Here Comes the Sun.

I’ve lost track of how many days I’ve been working in my home office, balancing conference calls with helping my daughters with math homework – but the days became weeks became months. Although Governor Cuomo extended the New York on Pause executive order through the end of this month, parts of the state have just […]


Public Hearings Requirements Under the State Environmental Quality Review Act During COVID-19

Discretionary permitting decisions made by public bodies in the State of New York often must go through a State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) procedure to ensure the public body considers potential adverse environmental and community effects of the project before granting permission to build. One facet of the SEQR process often involves the holding […]


Decedents Receiving Stimulus Payments: What the Family Should Do

As detailed in prior blog posts by our firm, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides a one-time direct payment of $1,200 to individuals earning less than $75,000 per year ($150,000 for couples who file jointly), including Social Security beneficiaries. The IRS has based the amount to be paid to an American […]


Medicaid Eligibility in New York – The Look-Back Period(s)

It is important to remember the Medicaid eligibility rules when planning for long term care.  In order to qualify for Medicaid to cover a stay in a skilled nursing facility, a single person can have no more than $15,750 in countable assets at the 2020 asset levels published by New York State.  However, there is […]


We agree with Abraham Lincoln, who famously said “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”


Deductible Expenses and the Paycheck Protection Program

On April 30, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2020-32. The notice provided guidance on otherwise deductible business expenses covered with the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan proceeds that are either partially or completely forgiven and excluded from the taxpayer’s income. The IRS, relying on Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section […]


Thank you, Mrs. Burney.

If there was one profession that did not need a day or week to be appreciated, it would be those in education, and especially teachers. Now, I am not just saying this as a son of a teacher. But, how many of us have become quasi-teachers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? How many […]


Un-Pause New York

New York has been “On Pause” for over a month now. But last week, Andrew Cuomo’s office began outlining initial steps toward a phased, regional reopening plan titled New York Forward. Cuomo announced guideposts of the initial stages of the New York Forward plan, which are intended to inform decisions made as the New York’s […]