As of March 12, 2021

Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans: 

How to Calculate Revenue Reduction and Maximum Loan Amounts Including What 

Documentation to Provide

The Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Department of the Treasury, 

is providing this guidance to assist businesses in calculating their revenue reduction and payroll 

costs (and the relevant documentation that is required to support each set of calculations) for 

purposes of determining their eligibility for and amount of a Second Draw PPP Loan.

Borrowers and lenders may rely on the guidance provided in this document as SBA’s 

interpretation of the CARES Act, the Economic Aid Act, and the Paycheck Protection Program 

Interim Final Rules. The U.S. government will not challenge lender PPP actions that conform to 

this guidance1 and to the PPP Interim Final Rules and any subsequent rulemaking in effect at the 

time the action is taken.

Revenue Reduction

1. Question: What are “gross receipts” for the purpose of determining eligibility for a 

Second Draw PPP Loan?

Answer: For a for-profit business, gross receipts generally are all revenue in whatever 

form received or accrued (in accordance with the entity’s accounting method, i.e., accrual 

or cash) from whatever source, including from the sales of products or services, interest, 

dividends, rents, royalties, fees, or commissions, reduced by returns and allowances but 

excluding net capital gains and losses. These terms carry the definitions used and 

reported on IRS tax return forms. 

Gross receipts do not include the following: 

• taxes collected for and remitted to a taxing authority if included in gross or total 

income, such as sales or other taxes collected from customers (this does not 

include taxes levied on the concern or its employees); 

• proceeds from transactions between a concern and its domestic or foreign 

affiliates; and 

• amounts collected for another by a travel agent, real estate agent, advertising 

agent, conference management service provider, freight forwarder or customs 

broker. 

All other items, such as subcontractor costs, reimbursements for purchases a contractor 

makes at a customer’s request, investment income, and employee-based costs such as 

payroll taxes, may not be excluded from gross receipts.

For a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, a 501(c)(19) veterans organization, an eligible 

nonprofit news organization, an eligible 501(c)(6) organization, or an eligible 

destination marketing organization, gross receipts means gross receipts within the 

1 This document does not carry the force and effect of law independent of the statutes and regulations on which it is 

based.
As of March 12, 2021

meaning of section 6033 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, which is the gross 

amount received by the organization during its annual accounting period from all sources 

without reduction for any costs or expenses including, for example, cost of goods or 

assets sold, cost of operations, or expenses of earning, raising, or collecting such 

amounts. Thus “gross receipts” includes, but is not limited to:

(i) the gross amount received as contributions, gifts, grants, and similar amounts 

without reduction for the expenses of raising and collecting such amounts,

(ii) the gross amount received as dues or assessments from members or affiliated 

organizations without reduction for expenses attributable to the receipt of such 

amounts, 

(iii) gross sales or receipts from business activities (including business activities 

unrelated to the purpose for which the organization qualifies for exemption, the net 

income or loss from which may be required to be reported on Form 990-T), 

(iv) the gross amount received from the sale of assets without reduction for cost or 

other basis and expenses of sale, and 

(v) the gross amount received as investment income, such as interest, dividends, rents, 

and royalties.

Gross receipts of a borrower’s affiliates (unless a waiver of affiliation applies2

) are 

calculated by adding the gross receipts of the business concern with the gross receipts of 

each affiliate.3

For more information on what constitutes gross receipts by entity type, see FAQ 5 below.

2. Question: For all entity types (e.g., for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations), 

do “gross receipts” include PPP Loan proceeds that are forgiven (or EIDL advances)?

Answer: No. The amount of any forgiven First Draw PPP Loan or any EIDL advance, 

which are not subject to federal income tax, is not included in the calculation of “gross 

receipts”. 

3. Question: What reference periods can be used to determine whether the Applicant can 

demonstrate at least a 25 percent gross receipts reduction in order to qualify for a Second 

Draw PPP loan? 

Answer: The appropriate reference periods depend on how long the Applicant has been 

in business:

2 See subsection (d) of the interim final rule titled “Business Loan Program Temporary Changes; Paycheck 

Protection Program Second Draw Loans” posted on SBA’s website January 6, 2021 (86 FR 3712). 3 If a borrower has acquired an affiliate or been acquired as an affiliate during 2020, gross receipts includes the 

receipts of the acquired or acquiring concern. This aggregation applies for the entire period of measurement, not just 

the period after the affiliation arose. However, if a concern acquired a segregable division of another business 

concern during 2020, gross receipts do not include the receipts of the acquired division prior to the acquisition.

Similarly, the gross receipts of a former affiliate are not included. This exclusion of gross receipts of such former 

affiliate applies during the entire period of measurement, rather than only for the period after which affiliation 

ceased. However, if a borrower sold a segregable division during 2020, the gross receipts will continue to include 

the receipts of the division that was sold. All terms in this paragraph have the meaning attributed to them by the IRS.
As of March 12, 2021

• For all Applicants, except those satisfying the conditions set forth below, the

Applicant must demonstrate that gross receipts in any calendar quarter of 2020 

were at least 25 percent lower than the same quarter of 2019. Alternatively, 

Applicants may compare annual gross receipts in 2020 with annual gross receipts 

in 2019 if they were in business in 2019.

• For entities not in business during the first and second quarters of 2019 but in 

operation during the third and fourth quarters of 2019, Applicants must 

demonstrate that gross receipts in any quarter of 2020 were at least 25 percent

lower than during either the third or fourth quarters of 2019.

• For entities not in business during the first, second, and third quarters of 2019 but 

in operation during the fourth quarter of 2019, Applicants must demonstrate that 

gross receipts in any quarter of 2020 were at least 25 percent lower than the fourth 

quarter of 2019.

• For entities not in business during 2019 but in operation on February 15, 2020, 

Applicants must demonstrate that gross receipts in the second, third, or fourth 

quarter of 2020 were at least 25 percent lower than the first quarter of 2020.

4. Question: What documentation do I need to provide to corroborate that my entity 

sustained at least a 25 percent reduction in gross receipts? 

Answer: The following are the primary sets of documentation Applicants can provide to 

substantiate their certification of a 25 percent gross receipts reduction (only one set is 

required):

• Quarterly financial statements for the entity. If the financial statements are not 

audited, the Applicant must sign and date the first page of the financial statement 

and initial all other pages, attesting to their accuracy. If the financial statements 

do not specifically identify the line item(s) that constitute gross receipts, the 

Applicant must annotate which line item(s) constitute gross receipts.

• Quarterly or monthly bank statements for the entity showing deposits from the 

relevant quarters. The Applicant must annotate, if it is not clear, which deposits 

listed on the bank statement constitute gross receipts (e.g., payments for purchases 

of goods and services) and which do not (e.g., capital infusions).

• Annual IRS income tax filings of the entity (required if using an annual reference 

period). If the entity has not yet filed a tax return for 2020, the Applicant must fill 

out the return forms, compute the relevant gross receipts value (see Question 5), 

and sign and date the return, attesting that the values that enter into the gross 

receipts computation are the same values that will be filed on the entity’s tax 

return.
As of March 12, 2021

5. Question: If I use my entity’s annual income tax returns to demonstrate a gross receipts 

reduction of at least 25 percent, what amounts do I use to calculate gross receipts? 

Answer: The amounts required to compute gross receipts varies by the entity tax return 

type:4

• For self-employed individuals other than farmers and ranchers (IRS Form 1040 

Schedule C): sum of line 4 and line 75

• For self-employed farmers and ranchers (IRS Form 1040 Schedule F): sum of 

lines 1b and 9

• For partnerships (IRS Form 1065): sum of lines 2 and 8, minus line 66

• For S-Corporations (IRS Form 1120-S): sum of lines 2 and 6, minus line 47

• For C-Corporations (IRS Form 1120): sum of lines 2 and 11, minus the sum of 

lines 8 and 9

• For nonprofit organizations (IRS Form 990): the sum of lines 6b(i), 6b(ii), 7b(i), 

7b(ii), 8b, 9b, 10b, and 12 (column (A)) of Part VIII

• For nonprofit organizations (IRS Form 990-EZ): sum of lines 5b, 6c, 7b, and 9 of 

Part I.

• LLCs should follow the instructions that apply to their tax filing status in the 

reference periods.

6. Question: I am applying for a Second Draw PPP Loan amount greater than $150,000. 

When do I need to provide the documentation to substantiate the reduction in gross 

receipts? 

Answer: For a Second Draw PPP Loan amount greater than $150,000, the applicant

must provide documentation substantiating the reduction in gross receipts with its Second 

Draw Borrower Application Form (SBA Form 2483-SD or lender’s equivalent form). 

The documentation must support the amounts provided in the application.

7. Question: I am an applicant for a Second Draw PPP Loan amount of $150,000 or less. 

When do I need to provide the documentation to substantiate the reduction in gross 

receipts? 

Answer: For a Second Draw PPP Loan amount of $150,000 or less, the borrower must 

provide documentation substantiating the reduction in gross receipts before or at the time 

the borrower seeks loan forgiveness (or upon SBA request). The documentation must 

clearly identify both of the reference quarters (if not using annual comparison), must

4 Any of the following included in the specific tax form lines must be excluded from the computation and annotated 

on the return: taxes collected for and remitted to a taxing authority if included in gross or total income (such as sales 

or other taxes collected from customers and excluding taxes levied on the concern or its employees); proceeds from 

transactions between a concern and its domestic or foreign affiliates; and amounts collected for another by a travel 

agent, real estate agent, advertising agent, conference management service provider, freight forwarder or customs 

broker. In particular, for tax returns that include sales tax as income and then as a deduction, annotate next to the 

“taxes and license” line of the return the amount of such taxes that were included in income. 5 If you file multiple Schedule C forms on the same Form 1040, you must include and sum across all of them. 6 If nonzero, you must also include Form 1065 Schedule K lines 3a, 5, 6a, 7, and 11 and Form 8825 line 2.

7 If nonzero, you must also include Form 1120-S Schedule K lines 3a, 4, 5a, 6, and 10 and Form 8825 line 2.
As of March 12, 2021

contain the gross receipts amounts for both quarters, and support the amounts provided.

(Payroll documentation to substantiate the amount of the loan requested must still be

provided with the Second Draw PPP Loan application, see the next set of FAQs in this 

document for more information.)

8. Question: Can I document my reduction in gross receipts with income tax returns if my 

entity files taxes on the basis of a fiscal year that differs from the calendar year?

Answer: Entities that use a fiscal year to file taxes may document a reduction in gross 

receipts with income tax returns only if their fiscal year contains all of the second, third, 

and fourth quarters of the calendar year (i.e., have a fiscal year start date of February 1, 

March 1, or April 1).

9. Question: I am a self-employed individual who is eligible to use gross income from both 

Schedule C and Schedule F to calculate loan amount, how do I calculate the percentage 

reduction in gross receipts for a Second Draw PPP Loan? 

Answer: Add the gross receipts for your Schedule C business with the gross receipts for 

your Schedule F business together and compare this sum against the sum of your gross 

receipts for your Schedule C and Schedule F business gross receipts for the reference 

period you choose (either quarterly or annually). 
As of March 12, 2021

Maximum Second Draw PPP Loan Amounts

This guidance describes payroll costs using calendar year 2019 as the reference period for 

determining payroll costs used to calculate loan amounts. However, borrowers are permitted to 

use payroll costs from either calendar year 2019 or calendar year 2020 for their Second Draw

PPP Loan amount calculation.

8 Documentation, including IRS forms, must be supplied for the 

selected reference period. If a borrower is using the same lender and same payroll timeframe as 

it used for its First Draw PPP Loan and already submitted the required payroll documentation to 

the lender, no additional payroll documentation is required to be submitted with its Second Draw 

PPP Loan application.

1. Question: I am self-employed and have no employees. How do I calculate my 

maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount if I use net profit? (Note that PPP loan

forgiveness amounts will depend, in part, on the total amount spent during the covered 

period following disbursement of the PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed if you are self-employed and have no employees, and your 

principal place of residence is in the United States, including if you are an independent 

contractor or operate a sole proprietorship, and you use net profit (but not if you are a 

partner in a partnership):

• Step 1: Find your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 31 net profit amount.

9

 If 

this amount is over $100,000, reduce it to $100,000. If this amount is zero or less, 

you are not eligible for a PPP loan.

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly net profit amount (divide the amount from 

Step 1 by 12).

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly net profit amount from Step 2 by 2.5.

10

Your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C must be provided to substantiate the applied-for 

Second Draw PPP Loan amount. You must also provide a 2019 IRS Form 1099-MISC 

detailing nonemployee compensation received (box 7), IRS Form 1099-K, invoice, bank 

statement, or book of record establishing you were self-employed in 2019 and a 2020 

invoice, bank statement, or book of record establishing you were in operation on 

February 15, 2020.

2. Question: I am self-employed and have employees. How do I calculate my maximum 

Second Draw PPP Loan amount (up to $2 million) if I use net profit? (Note that PPP 

loan forgiveness amounts will depend, in part, on the total amount spent during the 

covered period following disbursement of the PPP loan.)

8 All components of payroll costs must be from the same calendar year. Payroll costs, including for covered benefits, 

can only be included for employees whose principal place of residence is in the United States. 9 If you are using 2020 amounts and you have not yet completed a 2020 return, fill it out and compute the value. 10 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (NAICS Code 72) and the 

business activity code reported on your most recent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line B begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed if you are self-employed with employees, including if you are an 

independent contractor or operate a sole proprietorship, and you use net profit (but not if 

you are a partner in a partnership):

• Step 1: Compute your 2019 payroll costs by adding the following:

o 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 31 net profit amount;11

• if this amount is over $100,000, reduce it to $100,000; 

• if this amount is less than zero, set this amount at zero;

o 2019 gross wages and tips paid to your employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States, up to $100,000 per employee, which can be 

computed using:

• 2019 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5ccolumn 1) from each quarter,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

of $100,000, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the United States;

o 2019 employer contributions for employee group health, life, disability, 

vision, and dental insurance (the portion of IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 

14 attributable to those contributions);

o 2019 employer contributions to employee retirement plans (IRS Form 1040 

Schedule C line 19); and

o 2019 employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms).

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs amount (divide the amount 

from Step 1 by 12).

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs amount from Step 2 by 2.5.

12

Your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C, IRS Form 941 and state quarterly wage 

unemployment insurance tax reporting form from each quarter (or equivalent payroll 

processor records or IRS Wage and Tax Statements), along with documentation of any 

retirement or group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance contributions, 

11 If you are using 2020 payroll costs and have not yet completed a 2020 return, fill it out and compute the value. 12 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on your most recent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line B begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

must be provided to substantiate the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan amount. A 

payroll statement or similar documentation from the pay period that covered February 

15, 2020 must be provided to establish you were in operation and had employees on that 

date.

3. Question: I am a self-employed farmer or rancher who reports my income on IRS 

Form 1040 Schedule F. What documentation must I provide in place of Schedule C and 

how should my maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount be calculated (up to $2 

million)?

Answer: Self-employed farmers and ranchers (i.e., those who file IRS Form 1040 

Schedule F and then report Schedule F income on IRS Form 1040 Schedule 1) should 

use IRS Form 1040 Schedule F in lieu of Schedule C. 

The calculation for self-employed farmers and ranchers without employees is the same 

as for Schedule C filers that have no employees, except that Schedule F line 9 (gross 

income) should be used to determine the loan amount rather than Schedule C line 31 

(net profit).

The calculation for self-employed farmers and ranchers with employees is the same as 

for Schedule C filers that have employees with several exceptions. First, in place of 

Schedule C line 31 (net profit), the difference between Schedule F line 9 (gross income)

and the sum of Schedule F lines 15, 22, and 23 (for employee payroll) should be used. 

Second, employer contributions for employee group health, life, disability, vision and 

dental insurance (portion of Schedule F line 15 attributable to those contributions) and 

employer contributions for employee retirement contributions (Schedule F line 23)

should be used in place of those respective lines on Schedule C.

The documentation requirements are the same as for Schedule C filers except the 2019 

IRS Form 1040 Schedule 1 and Schedule F must be included with the Second Draw PPP 

Loan application in place of IRS Form 1040 Schedule C. Additionally, for farmers and 

ranchers with employees, IRS Form 943 should be provided in addition to, or in place 

of, IRS Form 941, as applicable.

4. Question: How do partnerships apply for Second Draw PPP Loans and how is the 

maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount calculated for partnerships (up to $2 

million)? Should partners’ self-employment income be included on the business entity 

level Second Draw PPP Loan application or on separate Second Draw PPP Loan 

applications for each partner? (Note that PPP loan forgiveness amounts will depend, in 

part, on the total amount spent during the covered period following disbursement of the 

PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed for partnerships (partners’ self-employment income should be 

included on the partnership’s PPP loan application, individual partners may not apply 

for separate PPP loans):
As of March 12, 2021

• Step 1: Compute 2019 payroll costs by adding the following:

o 2019 Schedule K-1 (IRS Form 1065) Net earnings from self-employment of 

individual U.S.-based general partners that are subject to self-employment 

tax, multiplied by 0.9235,13 up to $100,000 per partner;

14

• Compute the net earnings from self-employment of individual 

U.S.-based general partner that are subject to self-employment tax 

from box 14, Code A of IRS Form 1065 Schedule K-1 and subtract 

(i) any section 179 expense deduction claimed in box 12; (ii) any 

unreimbursed partnership expenses claimed; and (iii) any depletion 

claimed on oil and gas properties. 

• if this amount is over $100,000 for a partner, reduce it to 

$100,000; 

• if this amount is less than zero for a partner, set this 

amount at zero;

o 2019 gross wages and tips paid to employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States (if any), up to $100,000 per employee, 

which can be computed using:

• 2019 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5ccolumn 1) from each quarter,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

of $100,000, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the United States;

o 2019 employer contributions for employee (but not partner) group health, 

life, disability, vision, and dental insurance, if any (portion of IRS Form 

1065 line 19 attributable to those contributions);

o 2019 employer contributions to employee (but not partner) retirement plans, 

if any (IRS Form 1065 line 18); and

o 2019 employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms), if any.

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs (divide the amount from Step 1 

by 12).

13 This treatment follows the computation of self-employment tax from IRS Form 1040 Schedule SE Section A 

line 4 and removes the “employer” share of self-employment tax, consistent with how payroll costs for employees in 

the partnership are determined. 14 If the partnership is using 2020 payroll costs and the Form 1065 for 2020 has not yet been completed, fill out the 

form. 
As of March 12, 2021

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs from Step 2 by 2.5.

15

The partnership’s 2019 IRS Form 1065 (including K-1s) must be provided to 

substantiate the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan amount. If the partnership has 

employees, other relevant supporting documentation, including the 2019 IRS Form 941 

and state quarterly wage unemployment insurance tax reporting form from each quarter 

(or equivalent payroll processor records or IRS Wage and Tax Statements) along with 

records of any retirement or group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance 

contributions must also be provided to substantiate the PPP loan amount. If the 

partnership has employees, a payroll statement or similar documentation from the pay 

period that covered February 15, 2020 must be provided to establish the partnership was 

in operation and had employees on that date. If the partnership has no employees, an 

invoice, bank statement, or book of record establishing the partnership was in operation 

on February 15, 2020 must instead be provided.

5. Question: How is the maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount calculated for S 

corporations and C corporations (up to $2 million)? (Note that PPP loan forgiveness 

amounts will depend, in part, on the total amount spent during the covered period 

following disbursement of the PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed for corporations, including S and C corporations:

• Step 1: Compute 2019 payroll costs by adding the following:

o 2019 gross wages and tips paid to your employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States, up to $100,000 per employee, which can be 

computed using:

• 2019 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5ccolumn 1) from each quarter,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

of $100,000, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the United States;

o 2019 employer group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance 

contributions (portion of IRS Form 1120 line 24 or IRS Form 1120-S line 18 

attributable to those contributions);16

o 2019 employer retirement contributions (IRS Form 1120 line 23 or IRS 

15 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on your most recent IRS Form 1065 Line C begins with 72. 16 Note that employer contributions for group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance for S-Corporation 

employees who own more than a 2 percent stake in the business (or employees who are family members of such 

owners) are not included in this figure as such contributions are already included in gross wages.
As of March 12, 2021

Form 1120-S line 17); and

o 2019 employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms).

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs (divide the amount from Step 1 

by 12).

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs from Step 2 by 2.5.

17

The corporation’s 2019 IRS Form 941 and state quarterly wage unemployment 

insurance tax reporting form from each quarter (or equivalent payroll processor records 

or IRS Wage and Tax Statements), along with the filed business tax return (IRS Form 

1120 or IRS 1120-S) or other documentation of any retirement and group health, life, 

disability, vision, and dental insurance contributions, must be provided to substantiate 

the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan amount. A payroll statement or similar 

documentation from the pay period that covered February 15, 2020 must be provided to 

establish you were in operation and had employees on that date.

6. Question: How is the maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount calculated for eligible 

nonprofit organizations (up to $2 million)? (Note that PPP loan forgiveness amounts 

will depend, in part, on the total amount spent during the covered period following 

disbursement of the PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed for eligible nonprofit organizations (eligible nonprofit religious 

institutions or other eligible nonprofits without an IRS Form 990 filing requirement, see 

the next question):

• Step 1: Compute 2019 payroll costs by adding the following:

o 2019 gross wages and tips paid to your employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States, up to $100,000 per employee, which can be 

computed using:

• 2019 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5ccolumn 1) from each quarter,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

of $100,000, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the United States;

o 2019 employer group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance 

contributions (portion of IRS Form 990 Part IX line 9 attributable to those 

17 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on your most recent IRS Form 1120 Schedule K, line 2A (IRS Form 1120-S item B) begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

contributions);

o 2019 employer retirement contributions (IRS Form 990 Part IX line 8); and

o 2019 employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms).

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs (divide the amount from Step 1 

by 12).

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs from Step 2 by 2.5.

18

The nonprofit organization’s 2019 IRS Form 941 and state quarterly wage

unemployment insurance tax reporting form from each quarter (or equivalent payroll 

processor records or IRS Wage and Tax Statements), along with the filed IRS Form 990 

Part IX or other documentation of any retirement and group health, life, disability, 

vision, and dental insurance contributions, must be provided to substantiate the appliedfor Second Draw PPP Loan amount. A payroll statement or similar documentation from 

the pay period that covered February 15, 2020 must be provided to establish you were in 

operation and had employees on that date. Eligible nonprofits that file IRS Form 990-

EZ should rely on that form and those that do not file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ, 

typically those with gross receipts less than $50,000, should see the next question.

7. Question: How is the maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount calculated for eligible 

nonprofit religious institutions, veterans organizations, and tribal businesses (up to $2 

million)? (Note that PPP loan forgiveness amounts will depend, in part, on the total 

amountspent during the covered period following disbursement of the PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed for eligible nonprofit religious institutions, veterans organizations 

and tribal businesses:

• Step 1: Compute 2019 payroll costs by adding the following:

o 2019 gross wages and tips paid to employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States, up to $100,000 per employee, which can be 

computed using:

• 2019 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5ccolumn 1) from each quarter,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

18 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on your most recent IRS Form 990 Part VIII, adjacent to line 2A begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

of $100,000, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the U.S.;

o 2019 employer group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance 

contributions;

o 2019 employer retirement contributions and

o 2019 employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms).

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs (divide the amount from Step 1 

by 12).

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs from Step 2 by 2.5.

19

The entity’s 2019 IRS Form 941 and state quarterly wage unemployment insurance tax 

reporting form from each quarter (or equivalent payroll processor records or IRS Wage 

and Tax Statements), along with documentation of any retirement and group health, life, 

disability, vision, and dental insurance contributions, must be provided to substantiate 

the applied-for Second Draw PPP loan amount. A payroll statement or similar 

documentation from the pay period that covered February 15, 2020 must be provided to 

establish you were in operation and had employees on that date.

8. Question: I am an LLC owner. Which set of instructions applies to me?

Answer: LLCs should follow the instructions that apply to their tax filing status in the 

reference period used to calculate payroll costs (2019 or 2020)—i.e., whether the LLC

filed (or will file) as a sole proprietor, a partnership, or a corporation in the reference 

period.

9. Question: What other documentation can an applicant provide for the purpose of 

substantiating payroll costs used to calculate the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan

amount?

Answer: An applicant may provide IRS Form W-2s and IRS Form W-3 or payroll 

processor reports, including quarterly and annual tax reports, in lieu of IRS Form 941. 

Additionally, very small businesses that file an annual IRS Form 944 or agricultural 

employers that file an annual IRS Form 943 should rely on and provide IRS Form 944

or IRS Form 943 in lieu of IRS Form 941. 

An applicant may provide records from a retirement administrator to document 

employer retirement contributions. An applicant may also provide records from a health 

19 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (NAICS code that begins 

with 72, e.g., a hotel, restaurant, bar).
As of March 12, 2021

insurance company or third-party administrator for a self-insured plan to document 

employer health insurance contributions.

10. Question: How is the maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount calculated for a 

corporation or nonprofit not in operation for the full one-year period preceding February 

15, 2020? (Note that PPP loan forgiveness amounts will depend, in part, on the total 

amount spent during the covered period following disbursement of the PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed:

• Step 1: Compute total payroll costs from when first in operation in 2019 or 2020

through the end of calendar year 2020 by adding the following:

o Gross wages and tips paid to your employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States, up to $100,000 per employee annualized, 

which can be computed using:

• IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5c-column 1) 

from each quarter the business was in operation,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

of the product of $8,333 and the number of months in operation 

through 2020, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the United States;

o Employer group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance 

contributions;20

o Employer retirement contributions; and

o Employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms).

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs (divide the amount from Step 1 

by number of months in operation from 2019 through the end of 2020).

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs from Step 2 by 2.5.21

The entity’s IRS Form 941s and state quarterly wage unemployment insurance tax 

reporting form from each quarter the entity was in operation (or equivalent payroll 

20 Note that employer contributions for group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance for S-Corporation 

employees who own more than a 2 percent stake in the business (or employees who are family members of such 

owners) are not included in this figure as such contributions are already included in gross wages.

21 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on your most recent income tax return (Form 1120 Schedule K, line 2A for corporations, Form 1120-S item

B for S-corporations, and Form 990 Part VIII, adjacent to line 2A for nonprofits) begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

processor records or IRS Wage and Tax Statements), along with documentation of any 

retirement and group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance contributions, 

must be provided to substantiate the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan amount. A 

payroll statement or similar documentation from the pay period that covered February 

15, 2020 must be provided to establish you were in operation and had employees on that 

date.

11. Question: I am self-employed (or a partnership) and was in operation on February 15, 

2020, but was not in operation for the full one-year period preceding February 15, 2020. 

I have filed or will file a Form 1040 Schedule C or Schedule F (or Form 1065) for 2020. 

What reference period should I be using to compute my Second Draw PPP Loan 

amount? 

Answer: In this case, your maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount is the average 

monthly payroll based on the number of months in which you were in operation from 

2019 through the end of calendar year 2020, excluding costs over $100,000 on an 

annualized basis.

• Step 1: Compute total applicable owner compensation across 2019 (if in operation 

that year) and 2020 income tax returns:

22

o For self-employed Schedule C filers who use net profit (regardless of 

whether they have employees), it is the sum of the value of Form 1040 

Schedule C line 31 net profit.

 If this amount is less than zero, set this amount to zero;

o For self-employed Schedule C filers with no employees who use gross 

income, it is the sum of the value of Form 1040 Schedule C line 7 gross 

income.

 If this amount is zero or less than zero, you are not eligible for a 

Second Draw PPP loan;

o For self-employed Schedule C filers with employees who use gross 

income, it is the sum of the difference between the gross income amount on 

Form 1040 Schedule C line 7 and the employee payroll costs from the sum 

of Form 1040 Schedule C lines 14, 19, and 26.23

 If this amount is less than zero, set this amount to zero;

o For self-employed farmer or rancher with no employees, it is the sum of 

the value of Form 1040 Schedule F line 9 gross income.

o For self-employed farmer or rancher with employees, it is the sum of the 

difference between the gross income amount on Form 1040 Schedule F 

22 If you have not completed your applicable 2020 return, fill it out. 23 Any other employee payroll costs not reported on those lines but included in line 28 total expenses must also be 

subtracted from gross income.
As of March 12, 2021

line 9 and employee payroll costs from the sum of Form 1040 Schedule F 

lines 15, 22, and 23.

 If this amount is less than zero, set this amount to zero.

o For partnerships, it is the sum of Schedule K-1 (IRS Form 1065) net 

earnings from self-employment of individual U.S.-based general partners 

that are subject to self-employment tax, multiplied by 0.9235.

 Compute the net earnings from self-employment of individual U.S.-

based general partner that are subject to self-employment tax from 

box 14, Code A of IRS Form 1065 Schedule K-1 and subtract (i) any 

section 179 expense deduction claimed in box 12; (ii) any 

unreimbursed partnership expenses claimed; and (iii) any depletion 

claimed on oil and gas properties. If this amount is less than zero, set 

this amount to zero.

• Step 2: If the amount from Step 1 is greater than the product of $8,333 and the 

number of months in operation from 2019 through the end of 2020, set it to this 

value.

o For partnerships, this cap applies separately to each general partner.

• Step 3: If the entity has employees, enter the amount computed from following the 

instructions from FAQ 10 Step 1, otherwise enter 0.

• Step 4: Calculate the average monthly payroll costs (add Step 2 and Step 3 together 

and then divide that sum by the number of months in operation from 2019 through 

the end of 2020).

• Step 5: Multiply the average monthly payroll costs from Step 4 by 2.5.24

Your applicable income tax return (Form 1040 Schedule C, Form 1040 Schedule F, or 

Form 1065 (including K-1s)) from 2019 (if applicable) and 2020 must be provided to 

substantiate the applied-for Second Draw PPP loan amount. If you had employees, your

IRS Form 941s and state quarterly wage unemployment insurance tax reporting form 

from each quarter the entity was in operation (or equivalent payroll processor records or 

IRS Wage and Tax Statements), along with documentation of any retirement and group 

health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance contributions must be provided to 

substantiate the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan amount. Additionally, a payroll 

statement or similar documentation from the pay period that covered February 15, 2020 

must be provided to establish you were in operation and had employees on that date. If 

you did not have employees, an invoice, bank statement, or book of record establishing 

you was in operation on February 15, 2020 must instead be provided.

24 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on the most recent income tax return (IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line B for self-employed who are not 

farmers or ranchers and Form 1120-S item B for partnerships) begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

12. Question: If I used payroll costs from the prior 12 months when computing my First 

Draw PPP Loan amount, can I continue to use those figures to compute my Second 

Draw PPP Loan amount?

Answer: No, payroll costs from the precise 12-month period prior to the First Draw 

PPP Loan cannot be used to compute the Second Draw PPP Loan amount. Any 

borrower that used payroll costs from the prior 12 months when computing its First 

Draw PPP Loan amount can calculate the amount for its Second Draw PPP Loan 

amount using calendar year 2019 or calendar year 2020 payroll costs.

25 A borrower that 

used calendar year 2019 for its First Draw PPP Loan amount may continue to do so.

13. Question: Can I enter NAICS code 72 on my Second Draw PPP Loan application if the 

business activity code line was left blank on my business’s most recently filed income 

tax return?

Answer: If an entry for this line is missing from your tax return, you should report the 

industry code that is most applicable to your business’ primary business activity. If

your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (e.g., a hotel, 

restaurant, bar), you can only report a NAICS Code beginning with 72 if you can 

substantiate this with alternative documentation, such as permits or licenses issued by 

local governments that are unique to this sector. 

14. Question: In addition to pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance, what are 

the other pre-tax employee contributions for fringe benefits that may have been 

excluded from IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips that is part of employee 

gross pay?

Answer: Employee contributions and deductions from pay for flexible spending 

arrangements (FSA) or other nontaxable benefits under a section 125 cafeteria plan, 

qualified transit or parking benefits (up to $270 a month), and group life insurance (for 

up to $50,000 of coverage) may have been excluded from IRS Form 941 Taxable 

Medicare wages & tips. However, pre-tax employee contributions to retirement plans 

are included in Taxable Medicare wages & tips and should not be added to that figure to 

arrive at gross pay.

15. Question: How should a borrower account for federal taxes when determining its 

payroll costs for purposes of the maximum loan amount, allowable uses of a PPP loan, 

and the amount of a loan that may be forgiven?

Answer: Payroll costs are calculated on a gross basis without regard to federal taxes 

imposed or withheld, such as the employee’s and employer’s share of Federal Insurance 

Contributions Act (FICA) and income taxes required to be withheld from employees’ 

25 Borrowers who are not self-employed (including sole proprietorships and independent contractors) are also

permitted to use the precise 1-year period before the date on which the Second Draw Loan is made to calculate 

payroll costs if they choose not to use 2019 or 2020.
As of March 12, 2021

pay. As a result, payroll costs are not reduced by taxes imposed on an employee and 

required to be withheld by the employer. However, payroll costs do not include the 

employer’s share of payroll tax. For example, the wages of an employee who earned 

$4,000 per month in gross wages, from which $500 in federal taxes was withheld, count 

as $4,000 in payroll costs. However, the employer-side federal payroll taxes imposed 

on the $4,000 in wages are excluded from payroll costs under the statute.26

16. Question: Is there a limit on the dollar amount of Second Draw PPP Loans a corporate 

group can receive?

Answer: Yes, businesses that are part of the same corporate group cannot receive 

Second Draw PPP Loans in a total amount of more than $4 million. For purposes of this 

limit, businesses are part of a single corporate group if they are majority owned, directly 

or indirectly, by a common parent.

17. Question: I am self-employed and have no employees. How do I calculate my 

maximum Second Draw PPP Loan amount if I use gross income? 

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed if you are self-employed and have no employees, and your 

principal place of residence is in the United States, including if you are an independent 

contractor or operate a sole proprietorship (but not if you are a partner in a partnership; 

see Question #4), and you use gross income:

• Step 1: Find your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 7 gross income amount.27 

If this amount is zero or less, you are not eligible for a PPP loan.

• Step 2: Calculate the average monthly gross income amount (divide the amount 

from Step 1 by 12). If this amount is more than $8,333.33, reduce it to $8,333.33. 

• Step 3: Multiply the average monthly gross income amount from Step 2 by 2.5.28

26 The definition of “payroll costs” in the CARES Act, 15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)(A)(viii), excludes “taxes imposed or

withheld under chapters 21, 22, or 24 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 during the covered period”. As 

described above, the SBA interprets this statutory exclusion to mean that payroll costs are calculated on a gross 

basis, without subtracting federal taxes that are imposed on the employee or withheld from employee wages. Unlike 

employer-side payroll taxes, such employee-side taxes are ordinarily expressed as a reduction in employee takehome pay; their exclusion from the definition of payroll costs means payroll costs should not be reduced based on 

taxes imposed on the employee or withheld from employee wages. This interpretation is consistent with the text of 

the statute and advances the legislative purpose of ensuring workers remain paid and employed. Further, because 

the reference period for determining a borrower’s maximum loan amount will largely or entirely precede the period 

during which borrowers will be subject to the restrictions on allowable uses of the loans, for purposes of the 

determination of allowable uses of loans and the amount of loan forgiveness, this statutory exclusion will apply with 

respect to such taxes imposed or withheld at any time, not only during such period.

27 If you are using 2020 amounts and you have not yet completed a 2020 return, fill it out and compute the value. 28 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector (NAICS Code 72) and the 

business activity code reported on your most recent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line B begins with 72.
As of March 12, 2021

Your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C must be provided to substantiate the applied-for 

Second Draw PPP Loan amount. You must also provide a 2019 IRS Form 1099-MISC 

detailing nonemployee compensation received (box 7), IRS Form 1099-K, invoice, bank 

statement, or book of record establishing you were self-employed in 2019 and a 2020 

invoice, bank statement, or book of record establishing you were in operation on 

February 15, 2020.

18. Question: I am self-employed and have employees. How do I calculate my maximum 

Second Draw PPP Loan amount (up to $2 million) if I use gross income? (Note that 

PPP loan forgiveness amounts will depend, in part, on the total amount spent during the 

covered period following disbursement of the PPP loan.)

Answer: The following methodology should be used to calculate the maximum amount 

that can be borrowed if you are self-employed with employees, including if you are an 

independent contractor or operate a sole proprietorship (but not if you are a partner in a 

partnership; see Question #4), and use gross income:

• Step 1: Find your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 7 gross income amount.29

Subtract 2019 employee payroll costs summed from Form 1040 Schedule C lines 

14, 19, and 26.

30 If this amount is less than zero, set this amount at zero.

• Step 2: Divide the gross income amount from Step 1 by 12. If this amount is more 

than $8,333.33, reduce it to $8,333.33.

• Step 3: Calculate the sum of: 

o 2019 gross wages and tips paid to your employees whose principal place of 

residence is in the United States, up to $100,000 per employee, which can be 

computed using:

• 2019 IRS Form 941 Taxable Medicare wages & tips (line 5ccolumn 1) from each quarter,

• Plus any pre-tax employee contributions for health insurance or 

other fringe benefits excluded from Taxable Medicare wages & 

tips,

• Minus (i) any amounts paid to any individual employee in excess 

of $100,000, and (ii) any amounts paid to any employee whose 

principal place of residence is outside the United States;

o 2019 employer contributions for employee group health, life, disability, 

vision, and dental insurance (the portion of IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line 

14 attributable to those contributions);

o 2019 employer contributions to employee retirement plans (IRS Form 1040 

Schedule C line 19); and

29 If you are using 2020 amounts and have not yet completed a 2020 return, fill out the required portions and 

compute the values.

30 Any other employee payroll costs not reported on those lines but included in line 28 total expenses must also be 

subtracted from gross income.
As of March 12, 2021

o 2019 employer state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation, 

primarily state unemployment insurance tax (from state quarterly wage 

reporting forms).

• Step 4: Calculate average monthly payroll costs for employees (divide the amount 

from Step 3 by 12).

• Step 5: Sum the amounts from Step 2 and Step 4 and multiply by 2.5.31

Your 2019 IRS Form 1040 Schedule C, IRS Form 941 and state quarterly wage 

unemployment insurance tax reporting form from each quarter (or equivalent payroll 

processor records or IRS Wage and Tax Statements), along with documentation of any 

retirement or group health, life, disability, vision, and dental insurance contributions, 

must be provided to substantiate the applied-for Second Draw PPP Loan amount. A 

payroll statement or similar documentation from the pay period that covered February 

15, 2020 must be provided to establish you were in operation and had employees on that 

date.

19. Question: If I report farm or ranch income as an LLC, qualified joint venture, or 

partnership, may I use gross income to determine loan amount?

Answer: Only self-employed farmers and ranchers who file an IRS Form 1040 

Schedule F with their Form 1040 and report Schedule F farm income on IRS Form 1040 

Schedule 1 may use gross income to determine the loan amount. Single member LLCs 

and qualified joint ventures, as defined by IRS,32 that file Schedule F with their Form 

1040 may use gross income to determine their loan amount. Only one spouse in a 

qualified joint venture may submit a PPP loan application on behalf of the qualified 

joint venture. 

Partnerships and partners must calculate loan amounts as directed in Question 4 above. 

20. Question: If I am a self-employed individual who is eligible to use gross income from 

both Schedule C and Schedule F to calculate loan amount, how do I calculate loan 

amount?

Answer: Calculate your maximum loan amount by following the relevant guidance for 

calculating maximum loan amount for self-employed individuals (either with or without 

employees) using gross income from Schedule C and separately for using gross income 

from Schedule F. Add the two results together to calculate your maximum loan amount. 

In the applicable Box A on SBA Form 2483-SD-C, include amounts from both Schedule 

C and Schedule F.

31 Multiply by 3.5 if your business is in the Accommodation and Food Services sector and the business activity code 

reported on your most recent IRS Form 1040 Schedule C line B begins with 72. 32 A qualified joint venture for federal income tax purposes means (1) the only members of the joint venture are a 

married couple who file a joint return and each file Schedule C or F with their Form 1040, (2) both spouses 

materially participate in the trade or business, and (3) both spouses elect not to be treated as a partnership.