Member Resources

The Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program is currently available to small business owners located in all Florida counties statewide that experienced economic damage as a result of COVID-19.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is now offering a Business Damage Assessment Survey intended to gather data about how your business is being affected by the outbreak of COVID-19—also known as the Novel Coronavirus—and to indicate to the State of Florida the programs that you are interested in to assist you as your business endures this incredibly difficult time.
Survey: https://floridadisaster.biz/BusinessDamageAssessments

Additionally, Governor Ron DeSantis has activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which is also managed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. Applications will be accepted through May 8th.
Loan Details

Designated Disaster Areas: All Florida counties statewide per Executive Order 20-52.
Qualified Applicant: Applications will be accepted by qualified for-profit, privately held small businesses that maintain a place of business in the state of Florida. All qualified applicants must have been established prior to March 9, 2020, and suffered economic injury as a result of the designated disaster. Qualified small business applicants must be an employer business with 2 to 100 employees.
Amount: Up to $50,000 per eligible small business. Loans of up to $100,000 may be made in special cases as warranted by the need of the eligible small business.
Term: 1 year.
Limitation: Only one loan may be made per eligible business. All previous bridge loans received MUST be paid in full.
Interest Rate: Loans will be interest-free for the loan term (1 year). The Interest rate will be 12% per annum on the unpaid balance thereafter, until the loan balance is repaid in full. Loan default is subject to a normal commercial collection process.
Application Period: Applications will be accepted by qualified Florida small businesses under this program through May 8, 2020, contingent on the availability of funds.

Loan Information & Application: https://floridadisasterloan.org/

Webinars:

AXS Law presents COVID-19 Legal Issues and Concerns Affecting the Hospitality Industry Webinar

Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 3:30pm

Click here to join the conversation

STR will be hosting webinars discussing the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. hotel performance every Thursday at 3pm EST, with updates from the prior week’s lodging performance.

Every Thursday at 3:00pm

For daily updates and previous recording please visit STR's website at https://str.com/data-insights-blog/coronavirus-hotel-industry-data-news

Coronavirus & the Workplace: Legal Update for Employers and HR

This webinar will explain the best (and legally safe) steps that your organization must take now in response to this worldwide threat.

Wednesday, April 8th

Treasury, IRS and Labor announce plan to implement Coronavirus-related paid leave for workers and tax credits for small and midsize businesses to swiftly recover the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave

IR-2020-57, March 20, 2020

WASHINGTON — Today the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor) announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees. This relief to employees and small and midsize businesses is provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act), signed by President Trump on March 18, 2020.

· Paid Sick Leave for Workers

For COVID-19 related reasons, employees receive up to 80 hours of paid sick leave and expanded paid child care leave when employees' children's schools are closed or child care providers are unavailable.

· Complete Coverage

Employers receive 100% reimbursement for paid leave pursuant to the Act.

- Health insurance costs are also included in the credit.
- Employers face no payroll tax liability.
- Self-employed individuals receive an equivalent credit.

· Fast Funds

Reimbursement will be quick and easy to obtain.

- An immediate dollar-for-dollar tax offset against payroll taxes will be provided
- Where a refund is owed, the IRS will send the refund as quickly as possible.

· Small Business Protection

Employers with fewer than 50 employees are eligible for an exemption from the requirements to provide leave to care for a child whose school is closed, or child care is unavailable in cases where the viability of the business is threatened.

· Easing Compliance

- Requirements subject to 30-day non-enforcement period for good faith compliance efforts.

To take immediate advantage of the paid leave credits, businesses can retain and access funds that they would otherwise pay to the IRS in payroll taxes. If those amounts are not sufficient to cover the cost of paid leave, employers can seek an expedited advance from the IRS by submitting a streamlined claim form that will be released next week.

Examples

If an eligible employer paid $5,000 in sick leave and is otherwise required to deposit $8,000 in payroll taxes, including taxes withheld from all its employees, the employer could use up to $5,000 of the $8,000 of taxes it was going to deposit for making qualified leave payments. The employer would only be required under the law to deposit the remaining $3,000 on its next regular deposit date.

If an eligible employer paid $10,000 in sick leave and was required to deposit $8,000 in taxes, the employer could use the entire $8,000 of taxes in order to make qualified leave payments and file a request for an accelerated credit for the remaining $2,000.

Equivalent child care leave and sick leave credit amounts are available to self-employed individuals under similar circumstances. These credits will be claimed on their income tax return and will reduce estimated tax payments.