News of the Day

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday said that the deadline for filing tax returns is being moved from April 15 to July 15, after his department earlier this week similarly extended the due date for tax payments amid the coronavirus.

“At @realDonaldTrump’s direction, we are moving Tax Day from April 15 to July 15,” Mnuchin tweeted. “All taxpayers and businesses will have this additional time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.”

Mnuchin also encouraged people who might be in line for tax refunds “to file now to get your money.” Typically, about 70 percent of individual tax returns claim refunds.

The WEDC Board of Directors on Tuesday approved $5 million in funding for the program, which will be known as Small Business 20/20 (SB20/20). SB20/20 will provide grants of up to $20,000 to targeted businesses with no more than 20 employees to cover rent and to meet payroll expenses, including paid leave (including sick, family and other leave related to COVID-19).

“This is an important first step by WEDC in helping small businesses in our state and their employees who are facing lost revenues, missed paychecks and other uncertainty due to COVID-19,” said Governor Tony Evers. “As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to be felt, we will be relying on WEDC to develop additional innovative programs to meet the needs of our state.”

The grants will be deployed by partnering with state’s 23 community development financial institutions (CDFIs). Because the CDFIs have pre-existing relationships with many of these small businesses, CDFIs will be able to provide the grants quickly and directly to their clients.

CDFIs are specialized community-based financial institutions with a primary mission to promote economic development by providing financial products and services to people and communities underserved by traditional financial institutions, particularly in low income communities. CDFIs include community development banks, credit unions and non-regulated institutions such as nonprofit loan funds or venture capital funds.

WEDC is encouraging CDFIs with a minimum organizational loan portfolio of at least $4 million to participate in SB20/20. In addition, smaller CDFIs are encouraged to work together and apply as part of a collaborative with a combined organizational loan portfolio of at least $4 million, designating one CDFI as the lead applicant/recipient of funds. CDFIs that don’t meet the minimum portfolio size are also encouraged to collaborate with the larger CDFIs to serve their clients.

More information about the program is available at wedc.org/sb2020

Taxpayers will get a three-month reprieve to pay the income taxes they owe for 2019, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Tuesday at a news conference.

As part of its coronavirus response, the federal government will give filers 90 days to pay income taxes due on up to $1 million in tax owed, Mnuchin said in Washington. The reprieve on that amount would cover many pass-through entities and small businesses, he said.

Corporate filers would get the same length of time to pay amounts due on up to $10 million in taxes owed, Mnuchin said.

During that three-month deferral period, taxpayers won’t be subject to interest and penalties, he said.

You should still get your 2019 income tax return to the federal government as soon as possible, especially if you’re due a refund and need cash.

“We encourage those Americans who can file their taxes to continue to file their taxes on April 15,” Mnuchin said. “Because for many Americans, you will get tax refunds.”

While the federal government is granting taxpayers a little more time, you should still check in on your state’s position.

Some states have rolled out delays due to coronavirus.

Gov. Tony Evers today directed Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to issue an agency order prohibiting mass gatherings of 10 people or more to slow the spread of COVID-19 effective 5:00 p..m. today – Tuesday, March 17.

The order makes exceptions for transportation, educational institutions, child care, hotels, military, law enforcement, food pantries, hospitals, long-term care facilities, restaurants and bars can only offer take-out or delivery, grocery stores and convenience stores, utility facilities, job centers, and courts.

See full order and list of exemptions here. Additionally, schools will be closed for the duration of the public health emergency.

“Our top priority at this time is to keep Wisconsinites safe and healthy by reducing the spread of COVID19, especially for those who are considered high-risk. With limited tests available nationwide and continued community spread, we have to take every precaution to protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors,” said Gov. Evers.

“I know what this means for our small business owners and the struggles they and their workers will face in the coming weeks, but we are committed to working with our federal partners, state officials, and stakeholders to ensure we are doing everything we can to assist during these uncertain times.”

Gov. Tony Evers has directed Department of Health Services (DHS) Secretary-designee Andrea Palm to issue an agency order prohibiting mass gatherings of 50 people or more statewide to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

This order is effective on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 12:01 a.m. and will remain in effect for the duration of the public health emergency declared by Executive Order #72 or until a superseding order is issued. This order includes any gatherings at locations such as public or private schools, theaters, museums, stadiums, conference rooms, meeting halls, taverns, health and fitness centers, and places of worship.

Critical infrastructure and services such as grocery stores, food pantries, childcare centers, pharmacies, and hospitals are exempt from this order. Restaurants and bars are required to operate at less than 50 percent capacity or have fewer than 50 people, whichever is less.

“While it was a difficult decision knowing the impacts on communities, families, workers, and businesses across our state, I believe limiting gatherings to less than 50 people is another critical step we can take in slowing and reducing the spread of COVID-19,” said Gov. Evers. “Keeping folks safe and healthy has to be our top priority during this crisis.”

Decisions about the implementation of other community measures will be made by state and local officials based on CDC and DHS guidance, as well as the scope of the outbreak.

The following interim guidance may help prevent workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there are more widespread, community outbreaks of COVID-19.

To prevent stigma and discrimination in the workplace, use only the guidance described below to determine risk of COVID-19. Do not make determinations of risk based on race or country of origin, and be sure to maintain confidentiality of people with confirmed COVID-19.

Yesterday, Governor Tony Evers declared a public health emergency in response to new cases of COVID-19, directing the Department of Health Services (DHS) to use all the resources necessary to respond to and contain the outbreak. Just this week Wisconsin has had 5 new cases of COVID-19 and Illinois and Minnesota have also seen increased cases.

With these new cases there needs to be extensive contact tracing to contain the spread of COVID-19. Wisconsin also has 37 residents returning to Wisconsin from the Princess Cruise Ship who may have been exposed and need to be in monitored self quarantine for 14 days.

“We have been working aggressively to slow the spread of COVID-19, and this declaration allows us to get the resources we need to continue to be proactive when it comes to protecting Wisconsinites,” said Gov. Evers. “It is the latest step in the work our state agencies have been doing around the clock with our health care partners to prepare for the possibility of COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic.”

The Governor signed an executive order that directs DHS to take all necessary and appropriate measures to prevent and respond to incidences of COVID-19. It allows the Department to purchase, store, or distribute appropriate medications, regardless of insurance or other health coverage, as needed to respond to the emergency. It also authorizes state funds to support local health departments with costs related to isolation and quarantine, as well as the use of the Wisconsin National Guard.

Over the past decade, the rise of online short-term home rental services such as Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO has given customers more options but posed challenges for states like Wisconsin and its local governments seeking to collect taxes on these sales. The online platforms initially left it up to the rental owners themselves to collect and remit any taxes on their sales. That often didn’t happen, leading to lost revenues for governments and different treatment for hotels, which must collect state and local taxes from their customers.

Over time, Wisconsin has gradually ramped up its collections efforts and has now updated state law to hold the platforms legally responsible for collecting revenues from these sales. As of January 1, any lodging “marketplace provider” processing transactions for a third-party seller must also collect and remit all applicable state and local taxes on those sales. The DOR has said it recently sent letters to marketplace providers informing them of this new requirement.

The new state law makes clear that room taxes would still need to be collected by an online business that has no physical presence or employees in Wisconsin but that meets the test laid out in Wayfair of doing 200 or more transactions a year in the state or annual sales of more than $100,000. The law also says that homeowners renting their property through registered marketplaces are not required to collect taxes on those online sales, even if the platform they are using does not.

President Donald Trump on Monday said he will be meeting with Senate and House Republicans on Tuesday to discuss “a possible tax relief measure” that would provide “a timely and effective response to the coronavirus.”

“We are to be meeting with House Republicans, Mitch McConnell, and discussing a possible payroll tax cut or relief, substantial relief, very substantial relief,” Trump said at a press briefing with coronavirus task force members.

On Friday, the Office of Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) today asked health plan issuers to help Wisconsinites access the care they need to diagnose and treat any cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019).

The bulletin issued earlier this afternoon by Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable outlines a series of measures that insurers, self-funded plans, pharmacy benefit managers and cooperative health plans (collectively, health plan issuers) are being requested to take in order to help meet the current public health challenge posed by COVID-19, including: reviewing their current state of readiness to respond to any new COVID-19 cases; waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 laboratory and radiology testing; and verifying that their provider networks are prepared to respond to a possible increase in the need for health care services in the event more COVID-19 cases are diagnosed in Wisconsin. A complete version of the bulletin can be accessed here on the OCI website.

“Costs should not be a barrier to people receiving necessary treatment,” said Governor Tony Evers. “We will continue to monitor the situation and take the necessary steps to address this evolving public health challenge.”

“We appreciate all stakeholders working with OCI to ensure that Wisconsinites are protected and have access to the care they need,” said Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable.

Members of the public who have questions about COVID-19 are encouraged to visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disease/covid-19.htm.