Important Eligibility Requirements to be Released May 5, 2020
Idaho Governor Brad Little announced today the creation of the Idaho Rebound Cash Grants Program. This program will use a portion of the $1.25 billion granted to Idaho by the U.S. Treasury under the authority of the CARES Act.
Idaho is allocating $300 million, or 24% of the total Coronavirus Relief Fund dollars Idaho received, to make Individual Business Grants to small businesses of up to $10,000 “to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closure[s]”.
The Idaho Department of Commerce, working with and through the Idaho State Tax Commission, will release eligibility requirements on Tuesday, May 5, at 9:00 a.m. Mountain Time. Applications are anticipated to be accepted starting on May 11, 2020.
Currently, the only details released are as follows:
- More than 30,000 Idaho small businesses are supported;
- The program is target to those small businesses that did not receive the Paycheck Protection Program or received less than $10,000 through that program;
- All grants will be made public through www.Transparent.Idaho.Gov
While no additional details about the program or the eligibility requirements have been released at this time, one critical requirement has been identified: in order to apply, a small business MUST HAVE A TAXPAYER ACCESS POINT (TAP) ACCOUNT IF THEY DO NOT ALREADY HAVE ONE.
Businesses without a TAP account should create one as soon as possible and well in advance of the May 11, 2020 application opening date.
To register with TAP, the Idaho Department of Commerce has published the following instructions:
1. On the TAP home page, click “Don’t have a logon? Register here” beneath the “Log In” button.
2. Leave “No” selected where you’re asked if you received a code. Click “Next.”
3. Fill in all the required fields. If a field turns red/pink, hover over it to see the error and correct it. (Call the efile Help Desk at (208) 332-6632 if you’re unable to correct the fields in error.)
4. For the “You Are” field, use the drop-down arrow to select:
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- BUSINESS if you’re an owner or employee of a business (but not the sole owner)
- SOLE PROPRIETOR if you’re the sole owner of a business and have employees
- 3RD PARTY TAX PROFESSIONAL if you’re a tax preparer or accountant managing your clients’ taxes
5. Click “Submit.” The Tax Commission will send you a letter. This letter has a registration code. When you receive your letter, return to the TAP home page and click “Don’t have a logon? Register here” beneath the “Log In” button.
6. Click on “Yes” to indicate that you have a registration code, then click “Next”.
7. On the “Verify” page:
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- Enter the registration code exactly the way it appears in your letter (it is case sensitive).
- Select the option under “You Are” that matches the selection you made during your pre-registration
- Enter the EIN or SSN that you used during your pre-registration
- Click “Next”
- Complete the required fields
- Click “Submit”
You now have full access to your TAP account.
If you don’t receive a letter within five business days after your request was successfully submitted, contact us at efilehelp@tax.idaho.gov or call (208) 332-6632.
As soon as additional details on the program are released, Hawley Troxell will provide updated commentary and insights. Until those additional details are released, however, create a TAP account if you don’t already have one. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Ken Howell, Partner
Email: khowell@hawleytroxell.com
Phone: 208.388.4823