Windham Region Chamber of Commerce

DianeN

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GRANT FOR MUSEUMS, HISTORIC SITES/HOUSES/SOCIETIES

The Governor has created a new opportunity for museums and historic houses, sites and societies to receive funding to cover your costs this summer by allowing children in Connecticut to visit museums throughout the state free of charge.

The initiative was included as part of the proposal he presented earlier this week to the Connecticut General Assembly to allocate federal COVID-19 recovery funding that Connecticut is receiving from the American Rescue Plan Act. This summer museum portion of the proposal is part of Governor Lamont’s larger plan to provide students and families with engaging summer enrichment and learning experiences in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the initiative, all Connecticut children aged 18 and under plus one accompanying adult can visit any of the state’s participating museums free of charge from July 1 to Sept. 6, 2021. It will be supported by a $15 million investment from the state’s federal recovery funds to the participating museums.

So far, Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport Museum, Beardsley Zoo, Connecticut Science Center and the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk have all expressed interest. However, in the coming weeks, all museums in the state will be invited to participate, pending the necessary authorization from the state Legislature.

Grants will be administered by the DECD’s Connecticut Office of the Arts in partnership with Connecticut Humanities.  Applications and funding guidelines will be available by May 15, 2021, on both the Office of the Arts’ and Connecticut Humanities’ websites.  The final distribution of awards will be contingent pending the necessary authorization from the state Legislature.

The program application is under development and is scheduled to open by May 15, 2021. Any museum in CT may participate in the initiative regardless of whether they apply for or are eligible for funding. Grants to museums that provide free admission for CT children and one accompanying adult will help mitigate significant loss in visitor revenue due to participation in the initiative.

If your organization chooses not to apply for funding, there will be instructions on how to register as a non-funded participant.

To prepare for the application, you are encouraged to start compiling the following information now:

  • 2019 budget that includes operating income and expenses (If you were not open in 2019, you will be asked to use 2018 figures to support your application)
  • 2019 visitation numbers, total revenue from annual visitation, and percent of your operating revenue derived from visitor admission fees
  • Information specific to visitation between July 1, 2019 and Sept. 2, 2019, including the total number of visitors broken into the categories of adult and child, and further broken down to reflect visitors from CT vs visitors from out-of-state; total admission revenue generated during this period, and amount of revenue generated by visitor category noted above. **Note if this information is unavailable, estimated data may be acceptable.
  • 2019 admission fees and categories
  • Plans for reopening in 2021 between July 1 and Sept. 6, 2021 (Labor Day)
  • Plans for marketing your museum this summer

For the purposes of this funding, “museums” refers broadly to historic house museums, historic sites and historical societies, as well as children’s museums, science centers and special-interest museums. Qualified applicants must have a nonprofit 501c3 tax designation.

 

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CHAMBER SUPPORTS UNRESTRICTED GRANTS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The Windham Region Chamber of Commerce has been advocating for small businesses NON-STOP through the pandemic.  We have joined coalitions all across the country.  We are not stopping.  We believe the government should offer grants for small business WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS so that the business can best decide how to help their own company.  Here is a letter we sent to Congress..

Dear Members of Congress:

The COVID-19 pandemic has left America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs on the brink of collapse through no fault of our own. Having reached the grim one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the U.S., we continue to struggle to keep our doors open. While the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) provided a crucial lifeline for many businesses, the programs’ rollout, technical errors, and restrictive loan parameters caused many small businesses—especially newer businesses and under-resourced communities—to fall through the cracks. This is why we still need more robust and unrestricted direct grant support.

With each day that passes, funding and relief dries up and we are left to continue to figure out how to keep our employees paid and our doors open. And we’re not alone–40% of small business owners recently reported they will need no-cost grants or zero interest loans this year to keep their business open.

That is why we are calling on Congress to provide more grant funding—because only we can determine how best to utilize the funding to keep our businesses open. This has strong support among other small businesses, with 91% of small businesses saying they want Congress to pass legislation authorizing direct grants. New grant programs for live venues and restaurants were a step in the right direction, but funding for both is likely to run out quickly. It is critical that you immediately pass a substantive and unrestricted grant program to support all of our small businesses.

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FREE INTERNET/COMPUTER FOR VETERANS

Active duty members, veterans and survivors may be eligible for free or discounted internet, and up to a $100 discount on a computer, thanks to a new program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is a $3.2 billion federal initiative created by Congress to help lower the cost of high-speed internet for low-income Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To be eligible for the program, a household or household member must:

  • Have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participate in SNAP, Medicaid or Lifeline;
  • Participate in the free and reduced-price school lunch or breakfast program;
  • Have received a federal Pell Grant during the current year;
  • Have experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since Feb. 29, 2020, with a total 2020 income at or below $99,000 for single filers or $198,000 for joint filers; or
  • Meet the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

For a family of four in most of the country, an income equal to 135% of the poverty level is $35,775; for a family of two, that amount is $23,517. Income limits are higher for Alaska and Hawaii. See the Department of Health and Human Services website to calculate other levels.

For the purposes of this program, income includes:

  • Salary or earnings
  • Unemployment compensation
  • Social Security
  • Veterans’ benefits
  • Survivor benefits
  • Pension or retirement income

However, families who exceed the federal poverty level still may be eligible for the program if at least one member of the family meets another criteria, such as receiving a Pell Grant, receiving SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — commonly referred to as food stamps) or is attending a school where every student receives free or reduced-price lunches.

Families who suffered a substantial loss of income in the past 12 months are also eligible, even if they make more than the poverty level.

Participants approved for the program will receive up to a $50 monthly discount on qualifying high-speed internet from their provider, they may also receive up to a $100 discount for a laptop, desktop or tablet computer purchased from their internet service provider. Those who seek to receive the discount on a computer must pay at least $10 but less than $50 after the discount is applied. Each participating household is limited to only one internet and one computer discount in all situations.

A list of participating internet service providers can be found on the FCC website.

The temporary program is scheduled to end either when the money runs out or six months after the COVID-19 emergency is declared officially over, whichever is sooner.

The program will begin on May 12, 2021. Visit the official program website for more information.

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GRANT FOR FOOD SERVICE PROVIDERS-RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION GRANT

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund Grant is now open! If you are in food service you should apply for this funding. It is a GRANT not a loan.
The American Rescue Plan Act established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) to provide funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses keep their doors open. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023.
The RRF is to help restaurants and other foodservice businesses, including food stands, food trucks, caterers, bars, lounges and snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars, as well as bakeries, brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms, breweries, microbreweries, wineries and distilleries with on-site sales to the public of at least 33% of gross receipts.
CTSBDC is offering the following webinars in English and in Spanish:
Registration Links:
HERE IS A WEBINAR recording of info for applying for the grant.
Info to be Covered:
  • Eligibility details including which entities qualify and what is required;
  • Determining the amount you would qualify for depending on how long you’ve been in business;
  • The covered period, or the time period in which you need to use the funds;
  • How you can use the funds once you receive them;
  • Required documentation to help you get ready.

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SUMMER ENRICHMENT GRANTS

The State is providing up to $11 million in federal funding received for COVID-19 recovery efforts toward the expansion of programs that connect students to high-quality summer enrichment and recreational opportunities, with an emphasis on communities and children who were most impacted by the pandemic. Applications are due May 10, 2021.

There are 2 grant programs being offered:

  • Expansion grants (up to $25,000 per program site), which aim “to increase the number of Connecticut children who are able to participate in an enrichment program during the summer of 2021, with an emphasis on children who were most impacted by the pandemic. The funding can be used for expanding local existing programs, offering subsidies to offset enrollment costs, or creating a new program to serve students who might otherwise not have access to summer camp/programs.”
  • Innovation grants ($50,000-$200,000), intended “to provide students, especially those from traditionally underserved communities, with access to bold, highest-quality, and innovative summer programming. The funding can be used for expanding existing programs or creating a new program to serve students who might otherwise not have access to summer camp/programs, with an emphasis on programs that can serve students regionally or statewide. Programs must be evidence-based and demonstrate, either through available research, prior program data, or by other means, a superior record of improving student outcomes.”

This competitive grant application will award Expansion Grants and Innovation Grants to eligible organizations to provide students and families with engaging summer enrichment and learning experiences. Grant application materials were created in collaboration with dozens of key stakeholders across the state – including leaders of summer programs – and will enable the state to identify and support high-quality programs that are able to expand capacity for summer 2021.

Providers are encouraged to collaborate with local school districts and municipalities in order to maximize funding and school districts and municipalities are encouraged to leverage the state’s investment as appropriate, to serve even more students.

HERE IS MORE INFORMATION

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HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUM TAX CREDITS SUSPENSION FOR 2020

The premium tax credit helps pay for health insurance coverage bought from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Eligible people can choose to have all, some, or none of the estimated credit paid in advance directly to their insurance company on their behalf. These payments – which are called advance payments of the premium tax credit, advance credit payments, or APTC – lower what taxpayers pay out-of-pocket for their monthly premiums.

Alternatively, people can choose not to get APTC, pay the full amount of their monthly premium, and claim all the benefit of the PTC that they are allowed when they file their tax return. This will increase their refund or lower the amount of tax they owe. Taxpayers use Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit to figure the amount of their PTC and reconcile it with their APTC.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 suspends the requirement that taxpayers repay their excess advance payments of the premium tax credit for tax year 2020. Excess APTC is the amount by which the taxpayer’s advance payments of the premium tax credit exceed their premium tax credit.

Taxpayers who used APTC to help make their monthly payments for their Marketplace plan will need to compare two things to figure out what they need to do:

  • the amount of premium tax credit paid in 2020 to the Marketplace on their behalf in advance and
  • the actual premium tax credit they qualify for based on their final income for 2020.

The best way a taxpayer can do this is to complete Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, using the information from Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement their plan sent to them, as part of their tax preparation.

If the taxpayers APTC was less than their allowable PTC, they can claim the difference on their 2020 tax return as a net PTC by including Form 8962 with their tax return. The IRS needs the information on the form to process the tax return for taxpayers. If a taxpayer claims a net PTC and they receive a letter asking for more information, they should respond to the notice so that the IRS can finish processing their 2020 tax return and, if applicable, issue any refund due.

If the taxpayers have excess APTC for 2020 that is more than their allowable PTC, they are not required to file Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, or report an excess advance premium tax credit repayment when they file their 2020 Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.

If a taxpayer filed their 2020 tax return before the legislation and reported excess APTC, and received a letter about a missing Form 8962, they, don’t need to respond to the letter or contact the IRS. They also don’t need to file an amended tax return. The IRS will process 2020 tax returns without the Form 8962 by reducing the excess advance premium tax credit repayment amount to zero without further action by the taxpayer.

The IRS is taking steps to reimburse those paid the excess advance Premium Tax Credit repayment amount with their 2020 tax return filed before the legislative changes were made. Taxpayers in this situation should not contact the IRS or file an amended return solely to get a refund of this amount. The IRS will provide more details on IRS.gov.

This change only applies to 2020 excess APTC repayment. Taxpayers who received the benefit of APTC before 2020 must file Form 8962 to reconcile their APTC and PTC when they file their federal income tax return. This is true even if they aren’t otherwise required to file a tax return for that year. For example, if the taxpayer receives a letter about a 2019 Form 8962, the agency needs more information to finish processing their tax return, and taxpayers should respond to the letter.

More Information:
About Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit
More details about changes for taxpayers who received advance payments of the 2020 Premium Tax Credit.
Suspension of Repayment of Excess Advance Payment of the PTC