Paid sick leave changed quite a bit thanks to the pandemic. This has created tax breaks with the IRS for those it impacted.
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act gives smaller employers a tax break so they can pay their employers family sick leave.
This was amended by the Tax Relief Act of 2020 so the reimbursement is for family leave directly related to COVID-19.
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This means if they fell ill with the virus, a family member needed to be taken care of who had it, or they needed to plan or attend a funeral that was caused by COVID-19.
Up to 80 hours may be taken for someone to take care of themselves or a loved one with COVID-19.
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If a child’s school or daycare closed, the parent may take up to ten weeks off for the COVID-19 precautions.
This only works if the school or daycare is closed because of COVID-19.
This act covers businesses who have under 500 employees.
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Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act
The Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act is slightly different from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
With the FMLA, workers are entitled to paid leave when certain medical situations arise.
This goes along with the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act which gives a self employed person 80 hours of paid time off.
These two acts allow a self employed individual to take sick leave if they need it and not lose pay.
If they need to care for a loved one, they may claim paid hours back with their taxes.
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