Paycheck Protection Program
As part of the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) put in place provisions for loans to be issued that can cover payroll costs and a number of other costs. Congress passed several rounds of funding, with the third in the 1st Quarter of 2021.
On January 6, 2021, the SBA issued guidance regarding the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits and Venues Act (Economic Aid Act). On March 11, 2021, President Biden passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. SBA subsequently released
new PPP guidance in an IFR titled "Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck Protection Program as Amended by American Rescue Plan Act". Congress has since passed an extension to the PPP lending deadline through May 31, 2021.
Your PPP Loan Application
In order to continue serving your PPP funding needs, we are referring our clients to apply online through PPP loan application specialist SmartBiz Loans for funding through PPP lender Customers Bank. Your 1st Draw or 2nd Draw PPP loan can be started
through the online application provided here.
APPLY FOR A PPP LOAN
For 1st Draw Increases please contact your First Merchants Banker. Additional PPP reference materials are archived below.
PPP Loan Forgiveness
More information on forgiveness can be found in the Interim Final Rule on Forgiveness Requirements and Loan Review Procedures.
Clients whose PPP loan funded in 2020 from First Merchants Bank have entered the loan forgiveness period. You should gather your supporting documentation, and also determine which forgiveness application fits your situation. The SBA PPP Loan Forgiveness page provides a variety of
resources you will find useful. On January 19, 2021 the SBA released new application forms 3508, 3508EZ and 3508S. The 3508S now includes borrowers with PPP loans of $150,000 or less. These forms also include the newly eligible payroll and non-payroll
costs. We recommend reviewing the information linked below to familiarize yourself with requirements, and proceeding to the portal to submit your application.
The most recent forgiveness application links are included here for your reference:
The SBA has issued a number of interim final rules and FAQs since inception of the program. The website below may be valuable resources as you work through the forgiveness process.
As we previously noted, we wanted you to be aware of a change that affects your PPP Loan Forgiveness. In accordance with the CARES Act, SBA had previously been reducing the PPP forgiveness amount by the amount of the EIDL Advance. Recent legislation
repealed this, and as of December 29, 2020, the SBA no longer implemented those reductions. For additional information, you may read the SBA’s notice on the repeal of the EIDL Advance Deduction Requirement.
PPP Archived Resources
We are currently not accepting new PPP applications, however we will continue to process 1st Draw PPP loan increase requests to existing PPP borrowers. PPP loan information is included here for your reference:
- For first time PPP borrowers:
- First Draw with Increases: This First Merchants checklist provides qualifications and documentation
- For PPP 2nd Draw borrowers:
- Schedule C Filers:
- On March 3rd 2021, the Small Business Administration released new first and second Draw Paycheck Protection Program loan applications for Schedule C filers, called the 2483-C and 2483-SD-C. These new applications allow Single Member LLCs,
Qualified Joint Ventures, Sole Proprietors, Independent Contractors, and Self-Employed Individuals to calculate their PPP loan amount based on their gross income.
- To submit your application, please visit a local banking center. We appreciate your business and trust.
Please consult with your legal, tax, accounting or financial advisors, as needed.
The SBA has issued a number of interim final rules and FAQs since inception of the program. The websites below may be valuable resources as you work through loan application and forgiveness.
The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act went
into effect on June 5, 2020 to provide greater flexibility for PPP borrowers. Among other things, the bill:
- Extended the forgiveness period for all PPP loans from 8 to 24 weeks from the date of origination;
- Reduced the minimum amount that borrowers must devote to maintaining payroll from 75% to 60% in order to receive forgiveness;
- Allowed for maturity (i.e. 2 years) on previously made PPP loans to be extended by mutual agreement of the lender and the borrower;
- Modified the rules related to when loan payments would begin for that portion of a loan that is not forgiven.