Summary: The SBA released a set of updated formulas for self-employed PPP applicants to calculate the max amount of money they can apply for. It allows you to use either gross income or net profit, thereby ensuring businesses with very low or negative net profit have a useable, non-zero number, and increasing the amount most self-employed can apply for.

Note: This article is intended for informational purposes only. For the full update, see the SBA's Interim Final Rule on the updates, and visit SBA's main PPP website for more general info on the program and how to apply. The PPP ends May 31st, 2021 but funds are not guaranteed to last that long, so apply early.

Further assistance: If you still have questions about the PPP after reading this blog post, please send us an email or schedule an advising Q&A call here. Our advisors are here to help you navigate this and other pandemic relief programs.

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The formulas & documentation needed

Both of these formulas are intended for use by those filing a 1040 Schedule C.

For 1040 Schedule C filers with NO employees:

Step 1: From your 2019 or 2020 IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, you may elect to use either your line 31 net profit amount or your line 7 gross income amount (If you are using 2020 to calculate payroll costs and have not yet filed a 2020 return, fill it out and compute the value). If this amount is over $100,000, reduce it to $100,000. If both your net profit and gross income are zero or less, you are not eligible for a PPP loan.

Step 2: Calculate the average monthly net profit or gross income amount (divide the amount from Step 1 by 12)

Step 3: Multiply the average monthly net profit or gross income amount from Step 2 by 2.5. This amount cannot exceed $20,833.

Step 4: Add the outstanding amount of any Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) made between January 31, 2020 and April 3, 2020 that you seek to refinance. Do not include the amount of any advance under an EIDL COVID19 loan (because it does not have to be repaid).

Documentation needed: You must provide the 2019 or 2020 (whichever you used to calculate your loan amount) IRS Form 1040, Schedule C with your PPP loan application to substantiate the applied-for PPP loan amount and a 2019 or 2020 (whichever you used to calculate your loan amount) IRS Form 1099-MISC detailing nonemployee compensation received (box 7), invoice, bank statement, or book of record that establishes you are self-employed. If using 2020 to calculate your loan amount, this is required regardless of whether you have filed a 2020 tax return with the IRS. You must provide a 2020 invoice, bank statement, or book of record to establish you were in operation on or around February 15, 2020

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For 1040 Schedule C filers WITH employees:
Step 1: Compute 2019 or 2020 payroll (using the same year for all items) by adding the following:

a. At your election, either (1) the net profit amount from line 31 of your 2019 or 2020 IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, or (2) your 2019 or 2020 gross income minus employee payroll costs, calculated as your gross income reported on IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, line 7, minus your employee payroll costs reported on lines 14, 19, and 26 of IRS Form 1040, Schedule C (for either option, if you are using 2020 amounts and have not yet filed a 2020 return, fill it out and compute the value), up to $100,000 on an annualized basis, as prorated for the period during which the payments are made or the obligation to make the payments is incurred (if this amount is over $100,000, reduce it to $100,000, or if this amount is less than zero, set this amount at zero);

b. 2019 or 2020 gross wages and tips paid to your employees whose principal place of residence is in the United States, computed using 2019 or 2020 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5c, Column 1) from each quarter plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & tips; subtract any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess of $100,000 on an annualized basis, as prorated for the period during which the payments are made or the obligation to make the payments is incurred, and any amounts paid to any employee whose principal place of residence is outside the United States; and

c. 2019 or 2020 employer contributions to employee group health, life, disability, vision and dental insurance (portion of IRS Form 1040, Schedule C line 14 attributable to those contributions); retirement contributions (IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, line 19); and state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation (primarily under state laws commonly referred to as the State Unemployment Tax Act or SUTA from state quarterly wage reporting forms).

Step 2: Calculate the average monthly amount (divide the amount from Step 1 by 12).

Step 3: Multiply the average monthly amount from Step 2 by 2.5.

Step 4: Add the outstanding amount of any EIDL made between January 31, 2020 and April 3, 2020 that you seek to refinance. Do not include the amount of any advance under an EIDL COVID-19 loan (because it does not have to be repaid).

Documentation needed: You must supply your 2019 or 2020 (whichever you used to calculate your loan amount) IRS Form 1040, Schedule C; Form 941 (or other tax forms or equivalent payroll processor records containing similar information); and state quarterly wage unemployment insurance tax reporting forms from each quarter in 2019 or 2020 (whichever you used to calculate your loan amount) or equivalent payroll processor records, along with evidence of any retirement and health insurance contributions, if applicable. A payroll statement or similar documentation from the pay period that covered February 15, 2020 must be provided to establish you were in operation on February 15, 2020.