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Benton County's Business Relief Fund Program

The Governor and the Legislature have approved a significant economic relief package for Minnesota businesses.  As part of this package, the State will make direct payments to certain eligible businesses, and will also distribute funds to counties to provide further assistance to other local businesses.  

Benton Economic Partnership, Inc. has partnered with Benton County to develop the Business Relief Program to help many of our businesses that continue to be impacted by COVID-19.  BEP intends to have this new program in place on January 5, 2020 so that applications can be processed as soon as the county receives the anticipated State funds. Watch for our Special Newsletter next week!


 

Learn More
What you need to know about the MN Department of Revenue 2021 Business Relief Program
The Minnesota Department of Revenue will send COVID-19 Business Relief Payments to eligible businesses under a $216 million economic relief package signed into law December 16.

Eligible business owners do not need to take any action to receive this aid. As part of this package, the Department of Revenue (DOR) will make direct payments to certain eligible businesses. The State will also distribute funds to counties to provide further assistance to other local businesses.  

Eligible Businesses
This program provides direct payments to businesses required to temporarily close or reduce services in November under Executive Order 20-99.

Businesses in the following categories — as reported by the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance program — may be eligible: 
  • Full and limited-service restaurants
  • Cafeterias and buffets
  • Caterers
  • Bars
  • Breweries with taprooms
  • Family wineries with tasting rooms
  • Distilleries with tasting rooms
  • Bowling centers
  • Gyms and fitness centers
Program Requirements
The DOR will send payments to eligible businesses that meet the rest of the program requirements:
  • Located in Minnesota
  • Had at least $10,000 in taxable sales in 2019
  • Filed Sales Tax returns in 2019 and 2020
  • Experienced a 30% drop in year-over-year taxable sales (April-September)
  • Required to temporarily close or reduce services by Executive Order 20-99
Note: Annual sales tax filers are not eligible for this program.

Relief Payment Amounts
Eligible businesses will receive a payment based on their Unemployment Insurance data. The amount depends on their average number of employees for the period of November 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020. The payments are considered taxable income.
 
EMPLOYEES (FULL- AND PART-TIME) PAYMENT AMOUNT
1 to 20 $15,000
21 to 100 $25,000
101 to 300 $35,000
301 or more $45,000

Eligible small businesses not in the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance system will receive $10,000.

Payment Process
  1. The DOR will use current tax and unemployment records to determine what businesses are eligible and the amount of their aid payment. 
  2. They will notify eligible businesses though their e-Services account by December 31, 2020.
  3. The DOR will mail payments to eligible businesses in early-January 2021, to the main address on their Sales Tax account. Electronic payments are not available for this program.
Note: To verify your business addresses, log in to e-Services. For questions about your business category or number of employees, contact Minnesota Unemployment Insurance

More Information
For questions about this program or your payment, email the DOR at withholding.tax@state.mn.us or call 651-282-9999.

Benton Economic Partnership Annual Meeting

Networking begins at 7:30 a.m. on January 28, 2020

Arrive early and enjoy your coffee and virtual networking with our BEP Board Members!

BEP Executive Director, Amanda Othoudt, will kick off the Annual Meeting and provide a recap of projects and initiatives in 2020 and what we are looking forward to in 2021.

We will take time at our quarterly meeting to recognize our existing members and introduce the newest members of BEP!

Finally, we will welcome our Keynote Speaker, Claudia Dumont, Project Manager from MnDOT District 3. Claudia will provide an update and status on construction projects in Benton County, but primarily focusing on the Hwy 10, Hwy 23 Interchange east of the Mississippi River. You won’t want to miss this!

 

Register Here

New financing tool for energy efficiency & renewable energy improvements

Is your businesses, farm, multi-family housing building, nonprofit, or place of worship interested in energy efficiency or adding renewable energy like solar? A new financing tool called Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, can help you move forward.

How does PACE work? PACE financing is repaid as an assessment on your property tax bill for a set period. In this way, PACE eliminates the burden of upfront costs by providing low-cost, long-term financing. PACE is different than a traditional loan: there is less of a reliance on credit, the assessment stays with the property instead of the owner, and they can generally be repaid over longer terms than a bank might allow.

What can you do with PACE? Examples of potential building improvements that can be financed with PACE are solar arrays, HVAC upgrades, LED lighting, condensing boilers, digital controls, insulation, variable-frequency drive motors, building automation systems, and other water and energy conservation measures.

Who is behind PACE? The Saint Paul Port Authority provides the PACE funding and administers all aspects of the program. We place the assessment on the property, collect payments each year, and pass money back to the Port Authority.

How can you take action? To learn more about PACE and take action, Click the link below for program details and applications, factsheets, success stories, and frequently asked questions.

PACE Program Details
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Copyright © *December 21, 2020 *Benton Economimc Partnership, Inc.*, All rights reserved.


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183 Cedar Drive, Foley, MN 56329

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Benton Economic Partnership, Inc. · 183 Cedar Dr · Foley, MN 56329-4401 · USA

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