As businesses continue to grapple with effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, many are turning attention to forgiveness of Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans. Borrowers do not need to repay PPP loans as long as they satisfy a variety of conditions, including a requirement to spend PPP loan proceeds on qualifying expenditures such as payroll and rent. The IRS previously clarified in Notice 2020-32 that these expenditures are nondeductible for tax purposes. But in many cases, PPP loans will not be forgiven by the end of the tax year. In that case, it is uncertain how to treat the expenditures in the year incurred, and what to do in the year of loan forgiveness.
