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SBA Simplifies Online Disaster Loan Application

Submitted on 18 June 2012

Applying for disaster recovery assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration just got easier thanks to revisions made to its electronic loan application, significantly reducing the number of screens an applicant must read while filling out the form.

“Our goal is to provide support for those rebuilding after a disaster, and we wanted to make the process more user-friendly,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills. “Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or devastating flood, the SBA can step in to help communities get back on their feet by providing access to both home and business recovery disaster loans. To make the loan application process more streamlined and simplified, we have taken a different approach with the online applications. This improvement will make those first steps toward recovery more convenient.”

The new online application is easier to read, and users will spend less time filling out the form.

The original electronic loan application—launched in 2008—guided applicants through a series of 80 screens, based on responses to questions aimed at determining eligibility. Now, applicants for disaster assistance can fill out a form on SBA’s secure website that looks exactly like the paper application, four pages for home loans, and three pages for business loans.

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What You Need to Know about the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Submitted on 07 June 2012

How will the credit make a difference for you?

For tax years 2010 through 2013, the maximum credit is 35 percent for small business employers and 25 percent for small tax-exempt employers such as charities. An enhanced version of the credit will be effective beginning Jan. 1, 2014. Additional information about the enhanced version will be added to IRS.gov as it becomes available. In general, on Jan. 1, 2014, the rate will increase to 50 percent and 35 percent, respectively.

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Tips & Tools for Securing an SBA Loan

Submitted on 22 May 2012

Joe McClure, District Director
Montana District Office
U.S. Small Business Administration

Your success is our goal – that’s why this month I’m focusing on dispelling the myths of business loans and giving you tips and tools so you are well prepared when applying for a business loan. The Small Business Administration is here to help and give you a leg up on getting a small business loan.

A common misconception is that SBA loans money directly to small businesses. We do not. We do, however, guaranty loans made through local approved lenders. The SBA guaranty reduces the risk to the financial institution and may provide the lender with more flexibility in credit decisions. Contact your lender directly to apply for an SBA loan or visit our website to find a local SBA lender.

We recommend approaching the financial institution you currently do business with first. They have first-hand knowledge about you, your character and your history. If your bank says no, don’t be discouraged; think of it as an opportunity to shop around! Some lenders do not make certain types of loans, so although you may not qualify for a loan at one institution, you may be approved at another.

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Charting Your Destiny One Account at a Time

Submitted on 16 May 2012

When going on a trip, it doesn’t do much good to review a map if you have no idea where you want to go. You seldom plan a trip without knowing how much time you have to get to your destination and how much money you want to spend to get there. If you are like me, it is also helpful to have a map that shows key locations along the way; the number of miles between certain points; and the type of road you will be traveling on.

The same is true in business. Your record keeping system is the map that tells you how far you are, what key points of interest are currently to be found in your business and helps give you some idea of how far and how long it will take to get where you want to go.

If you’re going to develop an effective map (recordkeeping) system for your business, where do you begin? The best idea is to review those stops along the way that will give you the information you need to make decisions. This is usually done by developing a Chart of Accounts. A Chart of Accounts is no more than a complete listing of all of the accounts; assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses that you have in your business.

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Small Business Lending Fund

Submitted on 15 May 2012

Enacted into law as part of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (the Jobs Act), the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF) is a dedicated investment fund that encourages lending to small businesses by providing capital to qualified community banks¹ and community development loan funds (CDLFs) with assets of less than $10 billion. Through the SBLF, participating Main Street lenders and small businesses can work together to help create jobs and promote economic growth in local communities across the nation.

In total, the SBLF provided more than $4 billion to 332 community banks and CDLFs. Since these institutions leverage their capital, the SBLF could help increase lending to small businesses in an amount that is multiples of the total capital provided.

For a list of the institutions that received funding through the SBLF, please read the latest report in Program Reports or take a look at the map of participating lending institutions.

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Financial Education and Mentoring Support to New and Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Submitted on 03 May 2012

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and U.S. Small Business Administration today announced new resources to support small businesses across the nation. Acting Chairman Gruenberg and SBAs Associate Administrator for Entrepreneurial Development Michael Chodos released Money Smart for Small Business, a training curriculum for new and aspiring business owners.

Developed in partnership between both agencies, this curriculum is the latest offering in the FDIC’s award-winning Money Smart program.

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Small Business Lending Rises in 4th Quarter 2011

Submitted on 01 May 2012

Institutions participating in the Small Business Lending Fund significantly increased small business lending in the 4th quarter of 2011 by $1.3 billion over the 3rd quarter—for a total of $4.8 billion over their baseline. A substantial majority of SBLF participants have now increased their small business lending by 10% or more.

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IRS Encourages Small Employers to Check Out Small Business Health Care Tax...

Submitted on 29 March 2012

With business tax-filing deadlines fast approaching, the Internal Revenue Service today encouraged small employers that provide health insurance coverage to their employees to check out the small business health care tax credit and then claim it if they qualify.

The recently-revamped Small Business Health Care Tax Credit page on IRS.gov is packed with information and resources designed to help small employers see if they qualify for the credit and then figure it correctly. These include a step-by-step guide for determining eligibility, examples of typical tax savings under various scenarios, answers to frequently-asked questions, a YouTube video and a webinar.

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6 Things You Need to Know About Estimated Taxes

Submitted on 20 March 2012

Estimated tax is the method used to pay tax on income that is not subject to withholding. This includes income from self-employment, interest, dividends, alimony, rent, gains from the sale of assets, prizes and awards. You also may have to pay estimated tax if the amount of income tax being withheld from your salary, pension, or other income is not enough.

Estimated tax is used to pay income tax and self-employment tax, as well as other taxes and amounts reported on your tax return. If you do not pay enough through withholding or estimated tax payments, you may be charged a penalty. If you do not pay enough by the due date of each payment period you may be charged a penalty even if you are due a refund when you file your tax return.

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Business Succession: Plan Ahead for Your Retirement

Submitted on 08 March 2012

Whether retirement days are near or far, you should be up-to-date on the types of retirement plans available to you and your employees. The plans you will hear most about are IRA, SEP, SIMPLE and 401(k). In addition to providing for your retirement, they may offer significant tax benefits today.

Individual Retirement Arrangement, IRAs are plans that let you set aside money for your retirement. Banks, financial institutions, mutual funds and stockbrokers are among those who offer IRA accounts.

TRADITIONAL IRA

To contribute to a traditional IRA, you must be under age 70½ at the end of the tax year and have taxable compensation greater than or equal to your contribution during the year. Contributions may be tax deductible in full or in part, depending on your circumstances. The amounts earned by your IRA contributions are usually not taxed until you withdraw the money. Generally, you can’t withdraw money from your IRA before you turn age 59½ without paying income taxes and a 10 percent additional tax.

ROTH IRA

Regardless of your age, you may be able to set up a Roth IRA. You can’t deduct your contributions, but if certain requirements are met, earnings will be tax-free.

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