President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP bill) on March 11, 2021. The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package is aimed at stabilizing the economy, providing relief to individuals and businesses, and improving and accelerating the administration of coronavirus vaccines and testing. The most significant measures included in the Act are the following:
The original House version of the bill included a plan to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15/hour. This minimum wage provision was stripped from the Senate version following a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian that the minimum wage provision did not conform to the budget reconciliation rules.
The bill includes several measures to help individuals who have been adversely affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. In conjunction with supplemental federal unemployment benefits, the additional round of stimulus checks should provide some measure of relief to individuals. A temporarily enhanced child tax credit offers another area of assistance.
Immediate cash relief will be granted to individuals and families in the form of new stimulus payments. While a $1,400 stimulus check (compared to the $600 under the CAA) will be paid to qualifying individuals and their dependents, the final version of the bill was narrowed by the Senate as a compromise to accommodate concerns of certain members and to secure votes, with the result that fewer taxpayers will receive a stimulus payment than was the case with the previous stimulus checks. The relief payment distribution has already begun.
Individuals (filing status of single) making under $75,000 will receive a $1400 stimulus check. Individuals earning more than $80,000 are disqualified from receiving stimulus checks.
Single parents (filing status of Head of Household) earning $112,500 will receive a $1400 stimulus check. Single parents earning $120,000 are disqualified from receiving stimulus checks.
Married couples (filing status of married filing jointly) making under $150,000 are eligible for the $1,400 check ($2,800 combined). Couples earnings more than $160,000 are disqualified from receiving stimulus checks. For those married couples utilizing the filing status of married filing separately, the lower limitations for filing status of single (above) will apply.
Taxpayers will receive an additional $1400 for each dependent, which includes adult dependents (e.g., college students, parents). The previous two stimulus payments limited the additional checks to dependent children 16 years old or younger.
The amount of the stimulus check will be based on information in the taxpayer’s 2020 tax return if it has been filed and processed; otherwise, the 2019 return will be used. The amount of the check will not be taxable income for the recipient.
The current weekly federal unemployment benefits (which apply in addition to any state unemployment benefits) of $300 will be extended through September 6, 2021; the Senate cut back the $400 that would have applied through August 29 under the House version. Additionally, the first $10,200 of unemployment insurance received in 2020 would be nontaxable income for workers in households with income up to $150,000.
The extension also covers the self-employed and individual contractors (e.g., gig workers) who typically are not entitled to unemployment benefits.
The child tax credit will be expanded considerably for 2021 to help low and middle-income taxpayers (many of the same individuals who will be eligible for stimulus checks), and the credit will be refundable.
The amount of the credit will increase from the current $2,000 (for children under 17) to $3,000 per eligible child ($3,600 for a child under age six), and the $3,000 will be available for children that are 17 years old. The increase in the maximum amount will phase out for heads of households earning $112,500 ($150,000 for couples).
Because the enhanced child tax credit will be fully refundable, eligible taxpayers will receive a check for any credit amount not used to offset the individual’s federal income tax liability. Part of the credit will be paid in advance by the IRS during the period July through December 2021 so that taxpayers do not have to wait until they file their tax returns for 2021.
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit will be expanded for 2021 to cover up to 50% of qualifying childcare expenses up to $4,000 for one child and $8,000 for two or more children for 2021 (currently the credit is up to 35% of $3,000 for one child or 35% of $6,000 for two or more children). The credit will be refundable so that families with low tax liability will be able to benefit; the refund will be fully available to families earning less than $125,000 and partially available for those earning between $125,000 and $400,000.
The EITC will be expanded for 2021 to ensure that it is available to low paid workers who do not have any children in the home. The maximum credit will increase from about $530 to about $1,500, and the income cap to qualify for the EITC will go from about $16,000 to about $21,000. Further, the EITC will be available to individuals age 19-24 who are not full-time students and those over 65.
The ARP bill contains provisions designed to assist small businesses, in particular.
An additional $7.25 billion is allocated to assist small businesses and for the PPP forgiven loans. The current eligibility rules remain unchanged for small businesses wishing to participate in the PPP. However, a provision will make more non-profit organizations eligible for a PPP loan if certain requirements are met.
The PPP, which was originally created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) enacted on March 27, 2020, is designed to help small businesses that have suffered from the disruptions and shutdowns related to the coronavirus pandemic and keep them operational by granting federally guaranteed loans to be used to retain staff at pre-COVID levels. A PPP loan may be forgiven in whole or in part if certain requirements are met.
The Economic Aid Act, which is part of the CAA, had earmarked an additional $284 billion for PPP loans. The program ends the earlier of March 31, 2021 (the application period under the PPP is not extended under the ARP bill) or the exhaustion of the funds—additional funds are now allocated under the ARP bill.
It should be noted that there are current proposed bills to extend the March 31, 2021 deadline, but the likelihood of these passing is uncertain.
The ERC, originally introduced under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and enhanced under the CAA, aims to encourage employers (including tax-exempt entities) to keep employees on their payroll and continue providing health benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERC is a refundable payroll tax credit for wages paid and health coverage provided by an employer whose operations were either fully or partially suspended due to a COVID-19-related governmental order or that experienced a significant reduction in gross receipts.
The CAA extended the eligibility period of the ERC to June 30, 2021, increased the ERC rate from 50% to 70% of qualified wages and increased the limit on per-employee wages from $10,000 for the year to $10,000 per quarter for 2021. The new bill extends the ERC for another six months to December 31, 2021 under the same terms as provided in the CAA.
$15 billion in additional funding for Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants.