MARQUETTE — Tahquamenon Area Schools grades 7 through 12 will return to its remote learning plan beginning Monday, according to a joint news release from the school district and the Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department. Remote learning will be implemented through May 10.

“The recent increase in confirmed COVID cases in the 7th through 12th grade population and the number of students now in quarantine is concerning,” officials said in the release. “A two week pause is needed to slow the spread and protect students, staff and our community.”

Since Oct. 1, TAS has confirmed 30 cases of COVID-19 within its schools, according to its COVID-19 reporting dashboard. Eighteen of those cases have occurred since the beginning of April.

“LMAS District Health Department reminds everyone that COVID is still spreading throughout the district,” the release states. “We need more people to follow the basic protocols of wearing a face covering whenever in public areas, avoid large gatherings, maintain at least six feet of distance between yourself and those who do not live in your immediate household, stay home if you don’t feel well and get tested.

“If the health department contacts you and instructs you to isolate or quarantine, please follow those instructions. With more infectious variants in our district, it is more important than ever that we work together to protect each other. The trend in our district and across the state is that fewer cases and fewer hospitalizations are in the 65 and older age group due to the vaccination uptake in the older age category, but those numbers for children, teens and younger adults are at higher levels.”

TAS will send out details to parents regarding remote learning. For more information about COVID-19 or if you’re a resident in LMASDHD’s four-county jurisdiction and would like to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine, visit www.LMASDHD.org.

Forgiven Paycheck Protection loans won’t be taxed

The Michigan Department of Treasury announced Friday that taxpayers who accepted federal Paycheck Protection Program loans will not be taxed on loans forgiven through that program.

The state will fully conform to the federal tax treatment for forgiven PPP loans when calculating the state’s individual and corporate income taxes, according to a news release. The federal government issued PPP loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act. The PPP was originally created under the CARES Act to provide cash flow assistance to small businesses affected by the pandemic.

Under the program, eligible borrowers were able to apply for and receive federally guaranteed loans to be used for payment of payroll and certain other qualified business expenses. Borrowers who use the loan proceeds to pay qualified expenses are eligible for complete or partial forgiveness of the loan.

PPP loan recipients have special federal income tax provisions due to the fact that loans forgiven under the program are not subject to income tax and the qualified business expenses remain deductible.

PPP loan treatment in Michigan will typically have the same treatment provided on the federal return. Forgiven loans will remain excluded from income reported on the Michigan return and expenses paid from loan proceeds will similarly remain fully deductible on the Michigan return.

Because of the match of treatment on the federal return, additional documentation substantiating the PPP loan is not required for filing a Michigan return. Taxpayers do not need to include any specific loan documentation, such as proof of forgiveness or proof of expenses, with the filing of the Michigan individual or corporate income tax return.

Business taxpayers are encouraged to contact their tax preparers for details regarding the state’s treatment of PPP loans and other COVID-19 tax relief, according to the release. Taxpayers with questions about state income taxes are encouraged to use Treasury eServices. This online platform enables taxpayers to ask state income tax-related questions when convenient and avoids waiting for a customer service representative from the Treasury Department.

Individual income tax filers should use the eServices Individual Income Tax Portal at https://etreas.michigan.gov/iit/home, while corporate income tax taxpayers should use the eServices Business Taxes Portal at https://etreas.michigan.gov/bt/home.

For more information about PPP loan forgiveness and tax treatment, visit www.Michigan.gov/Treasury or follow MiTreasury on Twitter.

Peters reintroduces

PPE legislation

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Hills, reintroduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen efforts to onshore production of personal protective equipment in the United States, the senator’s office announced on Friday.

The legislation requires the Defense Logistics Agency to issue long-term contracts for American-made PPE, ensuring that American workers, students, health care professionals and others have the PPE they need as the economy gradually reopens.

Peters also states that domestic PPE production will create American manufacturing jobs.

“Our reliance on foreign manufacturers for masks, gloves and respirators presents and ongoing and concerning national security risk,” Peters said in a statement.

“While the Biden Administration has made progress on this issue by fully activating the Defense Production Act and other mechanisms to help boost PPE production, there is more work to do.

“I have long raised the alarm about this ongoing problem and it is critical that we continue incentivizing workers and companies in Michigan and across the country to manufacture PPE so we create jobs and improve our response to the ongoing and future pandemics.”

Republican Sen. Ron Portman of Ohio joined Peters in introducing the legislation.

“The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made it evident that the American people should not have to rely so heavily on foreign countries for personal protective equipment, and that’s why we must bring PPE production back to our shores,” Portman said. “When I talk to PPE manufacturers about reshoring this production to America, the number one thing I hear the need for are long-term contracts. Multi-year contracts give producers the certainty to know that their investment in the U.S. will be worth it because the government will be there to buy the PPE they produce. By reshoring production of PPE, we can continue to support a safe and effective reopening of our schools, workplaces and the economy, and I urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation.”

For the latest statewide coronavirus date and information, visit www.Michigan.gov/coronavirus.

Ryan Spitza can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. His email address is rspitza@miningjournal.net.