In response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the U.S. Congress, the executive branch, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have taken several actions intended to provide immediate relief to taxpayers. In prior updates, we summarized some of the actions taken in the last several months, including the tax provisions contained in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

On August 28, 2020, the IRS issued Notice 2020-65 (the Notice), providing some basic terms for allowing the deferral of withholding, deposit, and payment of the employee’s portion of Social Security taxes (the 6.2% tax on employee wages generally required to be withheld by employers) on certain qualifying wages, as directed by the presidential memorandum (the Memorandum) issued by President Donald Trump on August 8, 2020. The Notice postpones the due date for the withholding, deposit, and payment of such taxes on qualifying wages paid between September 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020, with such deferred taxes to be repaid between January 1, 2021, and April 30, 2021. Read the full article.