Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4596
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Ernst, Joni [R-IA]
Introduced: 2020-09-16
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Business expenses

Disaster relief and insurance

Employee benefits and pensions

Housing finance and home ownership

Income tax credits

Income tax deductions

Income tax exclusion

Tax administration and collection, taxpayers

U.S. territories and protectorates

Wages and earnings
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-09-16
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p> <b>Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020</b></p> <p>This bill sets forth tax relief provisions for individual and business taxpayers residing in a disaster zone during the period beginning on July 1, 2020, and ending 60 days after the enactment of this bill.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill</p> <ul> <li> allows penalty-free disaster-relief withdrawals from tax-exempt retirement plans up to $100,000, </li> <li>permits recontributions of such withdrawals for home purchases cancelled due to disasters,</li> <li> increases to $100,000 the limit on loans for disaster assistance from retirement plans, </li> <li>allows employers affected by a disaster a 40% tax credit for the purpose of retaining employees,</li> <li> increases the tax deduction for corporate disaster relief contributions,</li> <li>enhances the tax deduction for disaster-related personal casualty losses, </li> <li>permits the calculation of the earned income tax credit based upon income earned prior to 2020, and </li> <li> reimburses U.S. possessions for losses sustained due to the application of the provisions of this bill.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4596 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 16, 2020 Ms. Ernst (for herself, Mr. Grassley , Mrs. Feinstein , Mr. Cassidy , and Mr. Kennedy ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To provide tax relief for persons affected by certain 2020 disasters.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 . 2. Definitions For purposes of this Act— (1) Qualified disaster area The term qualified disaster area means any area with respect to which a major disaster was declared, during the period beginning on July 1, 2020, and ending on the date which is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, by the President under section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act if the incident period of the disaster with respect to which such declaration is made begins on or before the date of the enactment of this Act. (2) Qualified disaster zone The term qualified disaster zone means that portion of any qualified disaster area which was determined by the President, during the period beginning on July 1, 2020, and ending on the date which is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, to warrant individual or individual and public assistance from the Federal Government under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by reason of the qualified disaster with respect to such disaster area. (3) Qualified disaster The term qualified disaster means, with respect to any qualified disaster area, the disaster by reason of which a major disaster was declared with respect to such area. (4) Incident period The term incident period means, with respect to any qualified disaster, the period specified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the period during which such disaster occurred (except that for purposes of this Act such period shall not be treated as beginning before July 1, 2020, or ending after the date which is 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act). 3. Special disaster-related rules for use of retirement funds (a) Tax-Favored withdrawals from retirement plans (1) In general Section 72(t) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall not apply to any qualified disaster distribution. (2) Aggregate dollar limitation (A) In general For purposes of this subsection, the aggregate amount of distributions received by an individual which may be treated as qualified disaster distributions for any taxable year shall not exceed the excess (if any) of— (i) $100,000, over (ii) the aggregate amounts treated as qualified disaster distributions received by such individual for all prior taxable years. (B) Treatment of plan distributions If a distribution to an individual would (without regard to subparagraph (A)) be a qualified disaster distribution, a plan shall not be treated as violating any requirement of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 merely because the plan treats such distribution as a qualified disaster distribution, unless the aggregate amount of such distributions from all plans maintained by the employer (and any member of any controlled group which includes the employer) to such individual exceeds $100,000. (C) Controlled group For purposes of subparagraph (B), the term controlled group means any group treated as a single employer under subsection (b), (c), (m), or (o) of section 414 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (D) Special rule for individuals affected by more than one disaster The limitation of subparagraph (A) shall be applied separately with respect to distributions made with respect to each qualified disaster. (3) Amount distributed may be repaid (A) In general Any individual who receives a qualified disaster distribution may, at any time during the 3-year period beginning on the day after the date on which such distribution was received, make 1 or more contributions in an aggregate amount not to exceed the amount of such distribution to an eligible retirement plan of which such individual is a beneficiary and to which a rollover contribution of such distribution could be made under section 402(c), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8), 408(d)(3), or 457(e)(16), of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as the case may be. (B) Treatment of repayments of distributions from eligible retirement plans other than IRAs For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, if a contribution is made pursuant to subparagraph (A) with respect to a qualified disaster distribution from an eligible retirement plan other than an individual retirement plan, then the taxpayer shall, to the extent of the amount of the contribution, be treated as having received the qualified disaster distribution in an eligible rollover distribution (as defined in section 402(c)(4) of such Code) and as having transferred the amount to the eligible retirement plan in a direct trustee to trustee transfer within 60 days of the distribution. (C) Treatment of repayments of distributions from IRAs For purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, if a contribution is made pursuant to subparagraph (A) with respect to a qualified disaster distribution from an individual retirement plan (as defined by section 7701(a)(37) of such Code), then, to the extent of the amount of the contribution, the qualified disaster distribution shall be treated as a distribution described in section 408(d)(3) of such Code and as having been transferred to the eligible retirement plan in a direct trustee to trustee transfer within 60 days of the distribution. (4) Definitions For purposes of this subsection— (A) Qualified disaster distribution Except as provided in paragraph (2), the term qualified disaster distribution means any distribution from an eligible retirement plan made— (i) on or after the first day of the incident period of a qualified disaster and before the date which is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and (ii) to an individual whose principal place of abode at any time during the incident period of such qualified disaster is located in the qualified disaster area with respect to such qualified disaster and who has sustained an economic loss by reason of such qualified disaster. (B) Eligible retirement plan The term eligible retirement plan shall have the meaning given such term by section 402(c)(8)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (5) Income inclusion spread over 3-year period (A) In general In the case of any qualified disaster distribution, unless the taxpayer elects not to have this paragraph apply for any taxable year, any amount required to be included in gross income for such taxable year shall be so included ratably over the 3-taxable-year period beginning with such taxable year. (B) Special rule For purposes of subparagraph (A), rules similar to the rules of subparagraph (E) of section 408A(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall apply. (6) Special rules (A) Exemption of distributions from trustee to trustee transfer and withholding rules For purposes of sections 401(a)(31), 402(f), and 3405 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, qualified disaster distributions shall not be treated as eligible rollover distributions. (B) Qualified disaster distributions treated as meeting plan distribution requirements For purposes the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, a qualified disaster distribution shall be treated as meeting the requirements of sections 401(k)(2)(B)(i), 403(b)(7)(A)(i), 403(b)(11), and 457(d)(1)(A) of such Code and section 8433(h)(1) of title 5, United States Code, and, in the case of a money purchase pension plan, a qualified disaster distribution which is an in-service withdrawal shall be treated as meeting the distribution rules of section 401(a) of such Code. (b) Recontributions of withdrawals for home purchases (1) Recontributions (A) In general Any individual who received a qualified distribution may, during the applicable period, make 1 or more contributions in an aggregate amount not to exceed the amount of such qualified distribution to an eligible retirement plan (as defined in section 402(c)(8)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) of which such individual is a beneficiary and to which a rollover contribution of such distribution could be made under section 402(c), 403(a)(4), 403(b)(8), or 408(d)(3), of such Code, as the case may be. (B) Treatment of repayments Rules similar to the rules of subparagraphs (B) and (C) of subsection (a)(3) shall apply for purposes of this subsection. (2) Qualified distribution For purposes of this subsection, the term qualified distribution means any distribution— (A) described in section 401(k)(2)(B)(i)(IV), 403(b)(7)(A)(i) (but only to the extent such distribution relates to financial hardship), 403(b)(11)(B), or 72(t)(2)(F), of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, (B) which was to be used to purchase or construct a principal residence in a qualified disaster area, but which was not so used on account of the qualified disaster with respect to such area, and (C) which was received during the period beginning on the date which is 180 days before the first day of the incident period of such qualified disaster and ending on the date which is 30 days after the last day of such incident period. (3) Applicable period For purposes of this subsection, the term applicable period means, in the case of a principal residence in a qualified disaster area with respect to any qualified disaster, the period beginning on the first day of the incident period of such qualified disaster and ending on the date which is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Loans from qualified plans (1) Increase in limit on loans not treated as distributions In the case of any loan from a qualified employer plan (as defined under section 72(p)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) to a qualified individual made during the 180-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act— (A) clause (i) of section 72(p)(2)(A) of such Code shall be applied by substituting $100,000 for $50,000 , and (B) clause (ii) of such section shall be applied by substituting the present value of the nonforfeitable accrued benefit of the employee under the plan for one-half of the present value of the nonforfeitable accrued benefit of the employee under the plan . (2) Delay of repayment In the case of a qualified individual (with respect to any qualified disaster) with an outstanding loan (on or after the first day of the incident period of such qualified disaster) from a qualified employer plan (as defined in section 72(p)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986)— (A) if the due date pursuant to subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 72(p)(2) of such Code for any repayment with respect to such loan occurs during the period beginning on the first day of the incident period of such qualified disaster and ending on the date which is 180 days after the last day of such incident period, such due date shall be delayed for 1 year (or, if later, until the date which is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act), (B) any subsequent repayments with respect to any such loan shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the delay in the due date under subparagraph (A) and any interest accruing during such delay, and (C) in determining the 5-year period and the term of a loan under subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 72(p)(2) of such Code, the period described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be disregarded. (3) Qualified individual For purposes of this subsection, the term qualified individual means any individual— (A) whose principal place of abode at any time during the incident period of any qualified disaster is located in the qualified disaster area with respect to such qualified disaster, and (B) who has sustained an economic loss by reason of such qualified disaster. (d) Provisions relating to plan amendments (1) In general If this subsection applies to any amendment to any plan or annuity contract, such plan or contract shall be treated as being operated in accordance with the terms of the plan during the period described in paragraph (2)(B)(i). (2) Amendments to which subsection applies (A) In general This subsection shall apply to any amendment to any plan or annuity contract which is made— (i) pursuant to any provision of this section, or pursuant to any regulation issued by the Secretary or the Secretary of Labor under any provision of this section, and (ii) on or before the last day of the first plan year beginning on or after January 1, 2021, or such later date as the Secretary may prescribe. In the case of a governmental plan (as defined in section 414(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), clause (ii) shall be applied by substituting the date which is 2 years after the date otherwise applied under clause (ii). (B) Conditions This subsection shall not apply to any amendment unless— (i) during the period— (I) beginning on the date that this section or the regulation described in subparagraph (A)(i) takes effect (or in the case of a plan or contract amendment not required by this section or such regulation, the effective date specified by the plan), and (II) ending on the date described in subparagraph (A)(ii) (or, if earlier, the date the plan or contract amendment is adopted), the plan or contract is operated as if such plan or contract amendment were in effect, and (ii) such plan or contract amendment applies retroactively for such period. 4. Employee retention credit for employers affected by qualified disasters (a) In general For purposes of section 38 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, in the case of an eligible employer, the 2020 qualified disaster employee retention credit shall be treated as a credit listed at the end of subsection (b) of such section. For purposes of this subsection, the 2020 qualified disaster employee retention credit for any taxable year is an amount equal to 40 percent of the qualified wages with respect to each eligible employee of such employer for such taxable year. The amount of qualified wages with respect to any employee which may be taken into account under this subsection by the employer for any taxable year shall not exceed $6,000 (reduced by the amount of qualified wages with respect to such employee which may be so taken into account for any prior taxable year). (b) Definitions For purposes of this section— (1) Eligible employer The term eligible employer means any employer— (A) which conducted an active trade or business in a qualified disaster zone at any time during the incident period of the qualified disaster with respect to such qualified disaster zone, and (B) with respect to whom the trade or business described in subparagraph (A) is inoperable at any time during the period beginning on the first day of the incident period of such qualified disaster and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act, as a result of damage sustained by reason of such qualified disaster. (2) Eligible employee The term eligible employee means with respect to an eligible employer an employee whose principal place of employment with such eligible employer (determined immediately before the qualified disaster referred to in paragraph (1)) was in the qualified disaster zone referred to in such paragraph. (3) Qualified wages The term qualified wages means wages (as defined in section 51(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, but without regard to section 3306(b)(2)(B) of such Code) paid or incurred by an eligible employer with respect to an eligible employee at any time on or after the date on which the trade or business described in paragraph (1) first became inoperable at the principal place of employment of the employee (determined immediately before the qualified disaster referred to in such paragraph) and before the earlier of— (A) the date on which such trade or business has resumed significant operations at such principal place of employment, or (B) the date which is 150 days after the last day of the incident period of the qualified disaster referred to in paragraph (1). Such term shall include wages paid without regard to whether the employee performs no services, performs services at a different place of employment than such principal place of employment, or performs services at such principal place of employment before significant operations have resumed. (c) Certain rules to apply For purposes of this section, rules similar to the rules of sections 51(i)(1), 52, and 280C(a), of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, shall apply. (d) Election To not take certain wages into account (1) In general This section shall not apply to qualified wages paid by an eligible employer with respect to which such employer makes an election (at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may prescribe) to have this section not apply to such wages. (2) Coordination with paycheck protection program (A) In general Section 1106(a)(8) of the CARES Act is amended by striking of this Act. and inserting of this Act, except that such costs shall not include qualified wages (as defined in section 4 of the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 ) which— (A) are paid or incurred in calendar quarters beginning after June 30, 2020, and (B) are taken into account in determining the credit allowed under section 4 of the Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 . (B) Guidance The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall issue guidance providing that payroll costs paid or incurred during the covered period shall not fail to be treated as qualified wages under this section by reason of an election under paragraph (1) to the extent that a covered loan of the eligible employer is not forgiven under section 1106(b) of the CARES Act by reason of such payroll costs. Terms used in the preceding sentence which are also used in section 1106 of the CARES Act shall have the same meaning as when used in such section. (e) Coordination with other tax benefits Any wages taken into account in determining the credit allowed under this section shall not be taken into account as wages for purposes of section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or section 2301 of the CARES Act. 5. Other disaster-related tax relief provisions (a) Special rules for qualified disaster relief contributions (1) Individuals For the suspension of limitations on qualified disaster relief contributions made by an individual during 2020, see section 2205(a) of the CARES Act. (2) Corporations In the case of a qualified disaster relief contribution made by a corporation— (A) section 2205(a)(2)(B) of the CARES Act shall be applied first with respect to qualified contributions other than qualified disaster relief contributions and then separately with respect to such qualified disaster relief contribution, and (B) in applying such section to such qualified disaster relief contributions, clause (i) thereof shall be applied— (i) by substituting 100 percent for 25 percent , and (ii) by treating qualified contributions other than qualified disaster relief contributions as contributions allowed under section 170(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (3) Qualified disaster relief contribution For purposes of this subsection, the term qualified disaster relief contribution means any qualified contribution (as defined in section 2205(a)(3) of the CARES Act) if— (A) such contribution— (i) is paid, during the period beginning on July 1, 2020, and ending on the date which is 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and (ii) is made for relief efforts in one or more qualified disaster areas, (B) the taxpayer obtains from such organization contemporaneous written acknowledgment (within the meaning of section 170(f)(8) of such Code) that such contribution was used (or is to be used) for relief efforts described in subparagraph (A)(ii), and (C) the taxpayer has elected the application of this subsection with respect to such contribution. (b) Special rules for qualified disaster-Related personal casualty losses (1) In general If an individual has a net disaster loss for any taxable year— (A) the amount determined under section 165(h)(2)(A)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be equal to the sum of— (i) such net disaster loss, and (ii) so much of the excess referred to in the matter preceding clause (i) of section 165(h)(2)(A) of such Code (reduced by the amount in clause (i) of this subparagraph) as exceeds 10 percent of the adjusted gross income of the individual, (B) section 165(h)(1) of such Code shall be applied with respect to qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses by substituting $500 for $500 ($100 for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2009) , (C) the standard deduction determined under section 63(c) of such Code shall be increased by the net disaster loss, and (D) section 56(b)(1)(D) of such Code shall not apply to so much of the standard deduction as is attributable to the increase under subparagraph (C) of this paragraph. (2) Net disaster loss For purposes of this subsection, the term net disaster loss means the excess of qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses over personal casualty gains (as defined in section 165(h)(3)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986). (3) Qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses For purposes of this subsection, the term qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses means losses described in section 165(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which arise in a qualified disaster area on or after the first day of the incident period of the qualified disaster to which such area relates, and which are attributable to such qualified disaster. (c) Special rule for determining earned income (1) In general In the case of a qualified individual, if the earned income of the taxpayer for the applicable taxable year is less than the earned income of the taxpayer for the preceding taxable year, the credits allowed under sections 24(d) and 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 may, at the election of the taxpayer, be determined by substituting— (A) such earned income for the preceding taxable year, for (B) such earned income for the applicable taxable year. (2) Qualified individual For purposes of this subsection, the term qualified individual means any individual whose principal place of abode at any time during the incident period of any qualified disaster was located— (A) in the qualified disaster zone with respect to such qualified disaster, or (B) in the qualified disaster area with respect to such qualified disaster (but outside the qualified disaster zone with respect to such qualified disaster) and such individual was displaced from such principal place of abode by reason of such qualified disaster. (3) Applicable taxable year For purposes of this subsection, the term applicable taxable year means— (A) in the case of a qualified individual other than an individual described in subparagraph (B), any taxable year which includes any portion of the incident period of the qualified disaster to which the qualified disaster area referred to in paragraph (2)(A) relates, or (B) in the case of a qualified individual described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2), any taxable year which includes any portion of the period described in such subparagraph. (4) Earned income For purposes of this subsection, the term earned income has the meaning given such term under section 32(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (5) Special rules (A) Application to joint returns For purposes of paragraph (1), in the case of a joint return for an applicable taxable year— (i) such paragraph shall apply if either spouse is a qualified individual, and (ii) the earned income of the taxpayer for the preceding taxable year shall be the sum of the earned income of each spouse for such preceding taxable year. (B) Uniform application of election Any election made under paragraph (1) shall apply with respect to both sections 24(d) and 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (C) Errors treated as mathematical error For purposes of section 6213 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, an incorrect use on a return of earned income pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be treated as a mathematical or clerical error. (D) No effect on determination of gross income, etc Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall be applied without regard to any substitution under paragraph (1). 6. Treatment of certain possessions (a) Payments to possessions with mirror code tax systems The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to each possession of the United States which has a mirror code tax system amounts equal to the loss (if any) to that possession by reason of the application of the provisions of this Act. Such amounts shall be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury based on information provided by the government of the respective possession. (b) Payments to other possessions The Secretary of the Treasury shall pay to each possession of the United States which does not have a mirror code tax system amounts estimated by the Secretary of the Treasury as being equal to the aggregate benefits (if any) that would have been provided to residents of such possession by reason of the provisions of this Act if a mirror code tax system had been in effect in such possession. The preceding sentence shall not apply unless the respective possession has a plan, which has been approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, under which such possession will promptly distribute such payments to its residents. (c) Mirror code tax system For purposes of this section, the term mirror code tax system means, with respect to any possession of the United States, the income tax system of such possession if the income tax liability of the residents of such possession under such system is determined by reference to the income tax laws of the United States as if such possession were the United States. (d) Treatment of payments For purposes of section 1324 of title 31, United States Code, the payments under this section shall be treated in the same manner as a refund due from a credit provision referred to in subsection (b)(2) of such section.