Russell, Krafft & Gruber’s team is committed not just to helping our clients but to supporting the health of the entire legal community. We thank these folks for stepping up to the plate through the Lancaster Bar Association (LBA) for 2021:

The LBA is a great example of how vibrant a legal community can be. It provides more than just a place for lawyers to organize. It affords a chance to give back through reduced-cost services, funding important programs like CASA, and free services to first responders (and teachers!) who need to plan for end-of-life situations.
Continue Reading A Thank You to RKG’s Volunteers with the Lancaster Bar Association (LBA)

Last week, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 109, which included $145 Million of funds allocated specifically for grants to the restaurant and hotel industries.  The Bill intentionally included some swift deadlines for Counties to accept applications and allocate funds.

This week, the Lancaster County Commissioners approved an Agreement with the Economic Development Company (EDC) of Lancaster to administer the funds allocated to the County under the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP). Along with that Agreement comes some additional specifics for the program that interested applicants should know.

How much money is available?

Congress has allocated $6,181,069 to Lancaster County for distribution to eligible applicants.

More importantly, since the County has engaged the EDC to distribute other recovery funds, the EDC was able to quickly create program parameters and should also be able to quickly roll out an application.
Continue Reading Lancaster EDC to Administer COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program (CHIRP)

After months of uncertainty about whether additional relief for restaurants and hotels would come from state and federal government sources, some good news has started to flow to the hotel and restaurant industry. The latest comes in the form of a $145 Million allocation of funds to provide grants to those restaurants and hotels that have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, as part of a larger $900+ Million relief package aimed at helping businesses, local governments, and others, the Governor signed Senate Bill 109. This Bill allocates $145 Million previously transferred from the PA Workers’ Compensation Fund and designates it for the exclusive purpose of providing grants to hotels and restaurants.
Continue Reading $145 Million in Relief for Restaurants and Hotels

This summer, the IRS issued interim regulations clarifying that excess deductions from a Trust or an Estate can pass out to beneficiaries.  In the early fall, the IRS issued final regulations to the same effect.  What does this mean for you?

History of Excess Deductions

The Trump administration passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts (the “TCJA”) at the end of 2017.  The TCJA prohibited individuals, estates, and non-grantor trusts from claiming miscellaneous deductions for any years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026.

Before the passage of TCJA, Trusts and Estates could pass out excess deductions to their beneficiaries in the year the estate or trust terminated.  The beneficiaries could then take such deductions on their personal tax returns as miscellaneous itemized deductions.  After the passage of TCJA, it appeared that the new IRS section 67(g) prohibited such excess deductions as TCJA specifically disallowed 2 % miscellaneous itemized deductions incurred in tax years 2018-2025.
Continue Reading Excess Deductions Are Back!

The previous post on the third round of funding for the Paycheck Protection Program covered the big stuff – the necessity test, qualifications for taking out a second loan, and the latest attempt at simplified forgiveness. Here in Part 2, I’ll be going over the finer details, including EIDL advances, expense deductions, the ERTC, and other notes and restrictions.

Covered Period

The Act will permit you to select your covered period (i.e., the period in which you must spend the PPP loan funds).  The covered period must be greater than eight weeks and not more than twenty-four weeks beginning from the date of disbursement.
Continue Reading Paycheck Protection Program Take Three? – Part 2

2020 has certainly been an interesting year.  Thankfully, it is ending with a new federal act aimed at relieving businesses, industries, and individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  It is known as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

This Act consists of more than just a stimulus package. It also contains funding for the government through most of 2021.  My previous post, Finally, More Money! – The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, covered a broad overview of the stimulus package.  This post will discuss the third round of the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

While this is the third round of funding for the PPP, it is only the second time a single business may apply for that funding. The second round of PPP funding went to qualifying businesses that missed out on money the first time.
Continue Reading Paycheck Protection Program Take Three? – Part 1

It must be a Christmas miracle.  After deadlocking this summer and delaying over the weekend, the United States Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to additional aid to those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The President has also signed this new bill, known as the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021” (the “Act”).

The Act is approximately 5,000 pages long, so a detailed analysis will take some time.  Therefore, this post is not intended to be comprehensive, and many items are still being hammered out. Here’s what we know so far:

The Bare Bones

The Act consists of $900 billion in aid and was a compromise between the two parties.  As such, it is not perfect. There are some aspects of the Act that both sides of the aisle are criticizing.
Continue Reading Finally, More Money! – The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

2020 has been a year of adapting, readapting, and then adapting again in an effort to combat a global pandemic.  Those in education have been hit particularly hard.  Most educators and administrators have had to develop multiple contingency plans, often with little warning.

The Lancaster Bar Association is concerned about the impact these unprecedented times are having on educators and the increased responsibilities they have been taking on.  Our teachers and administrators are putting themselves at risk daily to ensure the children of our community continue to get the education they need.  Some, like Manheim Township counselor Alexandra Chitwood, have even lost their lives.
Continue Reading Lancaster Bar Association is Offering Classroom Heroes Free Living Wills

As we enter another month of the Covid-19 pandemic, the stories of people becoming gravely ill without a Healthcare Power of Attorney and Living Will continue to mount.  Recently, a doctor on a Covid-19 unit shared a story about a young man who required a ventilator to breathe.  He never expressed to his family what his wishes would be in this situation, leaving them to guess.

To further complicate matters, his parents did not agree on a course of action for their son.  It added strife and stress to an already unimaginably hard situation.  This particular stress could have been avoided if the young man had a Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will. Continue Reading What is a Living Will, and Why do I Need One?

This time of the year, our thoughts turn to family and friends.  Maybe we reflect on the past year or look forward to the next.  For association boards and property managers, these happy thoughts are interrupted by questions about snow removal. When do we call snowplows? What kinds of deicers should we use? And does our association have any liability for slips and falls?
Continue Reading HOA Snow Removal: Your Questions Answered