The CARES Act allows people not paid as W2 employees to collect unemployment. Never eligible in the past, self-employed individuals and independent contracts can now file for unemployment benefits as long as their loss in income is connected to the current pandemic crisis.

What does this mean to you? If your practice is temporarily closed, you can now file for unemployment even if you operate as a sole proprietor or as a partner in an LLC. Previously, you could only file if your practice was set up as a corporation and paid you W2 wages.

The Act also increases the amount someone can collect by $600 per week for four months and adds 13 weeks to the current 26 weeks that one can collect for, through 12/31/20.

For more info on Unemployment help, please see our posts  Unemployment FAQS and Payroll ? What To Do For Employers