On March 27, 2020 Congress passed H. R. 748, (CARES Act), and President Trump signed it, making it a new law.  Called to be the “single-biggest economic relief package in American history,” the CARES Act amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and is created to provide economic relief and stimulus to workers, families, and businesses of all sizes who are suffering from the effects of Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19). 

The CARES Act encompasses many provisions including:

• Health and Welfare benefits expansions
• Retirement benefit expansions
• Unemployment Benefits expansion and tax credits
• Individual tax credits
• Social Security and payroll tax credits
• Small, Midsize, and Large Employers Business loans, including for non-profit and public entities
• Tax Free Student Loan Repayment Plans
• Further Limitations on Paid Leave

While guidance will be forthcoming on the applicability of the various components of the CARES Act by the IRS, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Treasury, and the Department of Labor, this HCM Alert is the second in a series about the CARES Act. This alert addresses the Social Security and Payroll tax credits available to eligible employers for any required payments of Emergency Paid Sick Leave benefits paid to employees on qualified leave of absences.