A Message to Our Members and Area Residents

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 2 months, you kow this COVID-19 Pandemic has made a mess of all of our plans, events, finances, fund raising, luncheons, meetings schooling, graduations, proms and the like. 

We are adding the 2020 Community ISD Banquet and The 2nd Annual Patriot Paws Golf Tournament to the list of casualties.  We are working closely with the school district to determine an alternative and we will let you know if and when one becomes available.

As far as the Golf Tournament goes, we have been in constant contact with both our sponsors and the golf course and at this time, we have decided that our best option is to change the tournament date to May 2021.  The exact date will be determined mid summer.  We have reached out to our players and sponsors about refunds...if we have missed you, please let us know and we will discuss options.

Our priority is to continue to support each member and their business during this ever changing chaotic time, if you need anything please let us know, we will do our best to help you.  We know it is extremely difficult right now, but we will make it thru this and be better on the other side.

These are challenging times for businesses all over the nation. The Texas Comptroller’s office knows that during periods of economic hardship, paying or remitting taxes and fees on time can feel like an extra burden when there’s so much uncertainty. We’re thankful to those businesses that were able to remit state and local sales taxes they collected from customers in February on the March 20, 2020, due date.

We understand that virtually all of our taxpayers are doing their best to remain in compliance and be responsible in submitting the taxes they collected from their customers. With that in mind, our agency is here to offer assistance to those businesses that are struggling to pay the full amount of sales taxes they collected in February.

For businesses that find themselves in this situation, our agency is offering assistance in the form of short-term payment agreements and, in most instances, waivers of penalties and interest.

We ask that you contact our Enforcement Hotline at 800-252-8880 to learn about your options for remaining in compliance and avoiding interest and late fees on taxes due.

In addition, we have a variety of online tools for businesses seeking assistance. See our COVID-19 emergency response webpage for access to online tools, tutorials and other resources for tax services, and to establish 24/7 online account access with Webfile.

We’re standing by to help Texas businesses during these difficult times.

Important: SBA Loan Application Now Available

Dear Fellow Texans and Economic Development Partners,

Governor Abbott announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has now granted Texas’ Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) assistance declaration, making loans available statewide to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations to help alleviate economic injury caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Next Steps: Small businesses who believe they may be eligible for an SBA EIDL should visit the SBA’s website where they can directly apply for assistance. The online application is the fastest method to receive a decision about loan eligibility.

For additional information on Texas business-related COVID-19 resources, including a list of required documentation for the SBA Loan process, visit gov.texas.gov/business/page/coronavirus.

We know this is a difficult time for all Texans. Please don’t hesitate to contact our office if we can provide any additional information.

Stay safe, keep healthy and continue to check in with us as we provide the latest updates and resources.

#TexasBizStrong

-Office of the Governor, Economic Development Team