Hoće li američka Bijela kuća odgoditi poreze zbog širenja virusa COVID-19?

The US White House is considering deferring taxes for the cruise, travel, and airline industries to help with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Labor and employment partner Aaron Goldstein at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney in its Seattle office said Washington state is becoming paralyzed by the outbreak with companies scrambling to protect workers and their bottom line. He is getting calls daily from concerned employers all over the nation wondering what they should do. Goldstein said the situation is distressing, but a joint effort between governments and the business sector is part of a solution.

“As the federal government mulls financial aid to workers and companies affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, it should emphasize assistance to hourly workers who do not have the option to work remotely.

“For many companies and their employees, the COVID-19 outbreak will be an economic crisis, not just a health crisis. Hourly workers who need to make rent but cannot work remotely may be afraid to stay away from work, even if they start feeling sick. If school closures become more widespread, these same workers will have trouble finding childcare during school hours and be under even more economic pressure.

“As the federal government considers ‘timely’ and ‘targeted,’ but otherwise unspecified financial assistance to workers and industries, certain private companies have begun to step up. Microsoft announced that it will pay hourly workers whose hours have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak their usual weekly pay. Such a move not only helps these workers survive economically, but also helps contain the spread of COVID-19.

“Not all companies, however, have the resources to assist their workers in this manner. If the federal government and local governments want to take an immediate step to address both the spread of COVID-19 and its financial impact, they should seriously consider wage replacement for hourly workers whose hours have been reduced by the COVID-19 crisis,” Goldstein said.