Yes, in completing a Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness application, we believe a borrower can appropriately report actual payroll costs during the applicable covered period in excess of the original PPP loan amount. While actual forgiveness is ultimately limited to the amount of the PPP loan, the calculations provided for in the loan forgiveness application allow payroll costs to exceed the amount of the PPP loan, thereby permitting borrowers to potentially obtain full forgiveness even if the borrower is subject to FTE and/or salary/hourly wage reductions.

(Note: This is a first in what we anticipate to be a series of posts regarding questions about the Paycheck Protection Program and Loan Forgiveness. These questions and our answers are based on discussions with colleagues and clients, both lenders and borrowers. Our intention is to cover issues that, while potentially frequently asked, are not explicitly addressed in official FAQs or directly in Interim Final Rules. Our answers may ultimately be subject to change as additional guidance is provided, but reflect our view of the regulations at the time of posting.)

In light of the 24-week covered period and the PPP loan amount being based on effectively 10 weeks of payroll costs, we believe most PPP borrowers will ultimately have payroll costs that significantly exceed the amount of their PPP loan principal. This should not only facilitate full loan forgiveness, but also may ease the calculations under the forgiveness application and reduce the need to be aggressive with regard to questionable forgivable expenses, FTE calculations, or safe harbor certifications. (As reflected in the Forgiveness API FAQ, so long as lenders agree with the final total forgiveness amount, such applications can be submitted as being approved in full, even if there is disagreement on certain line items.)

[View source.]