What documents do I need to submit for PPP loan forgiveness?

This article outlines the general documents you'll need to submit for PPP Loan Forgiveness. The documents are separated by form type. To determine which form to use, review our What PPP loan forgiveness forms are available? support article. You may also refer to the SBA’s PPP forgiveness page for complete guidance and details.

Documents to Submit for Forgiveness

For simplicity, we have organized the required documents into separate categories. You must submit the document(s) from each category depending on the form and applicable payroll expenses.

Form 3508S

You’re not required to submit any documents when using this form; however, you must retain any documentation that supports your forgiveness application in the event you are required to submit them. 

Form 3508EZ 

In general, the following documents must support the expenses you included in your forgiveness application and must be from or cover your covered period.

For payroll (cash and non-cash benefits), you must provide docs for each of the following categories:

• CATEGORY 1 - Third-party payroll provider reports or bank account statements showing cash comp paid to employees
• CATEGORY 2 - Tax forms or third-party payroll provider reports showing:
  • (1) Payroll tax filings reported (or to be reported) to the IRS (e.g., Form 941), and
  • (2) State quarterly business and individual wage reporting and unemployment insurance filings reported (or to be reported)
• CATEGORY 3 - Payment receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements showing the amounts for any employer contributions to group health, life, disability, vision, or dental insurance and retirement plans

If you included non-payroll expenses, as applicable:

• CATEGORY 4 - For business mortgage interest payments:
  • Docs verifying the existence of obligations before Feb 15, 2020, and
  • Either:
    • Copy of lender amortization schedule and receipts or cancelled checks verifying eligible payments from the covered period, or 
    • Lender account statements from Feb 2020 and your covered period plus one month verifying both interest amounts and eligible payments
• CATEGORY 5 - For business rent/lease payments, both:
  • Docs verifying the existence of obligations before Feb 15, 2020, and
  • Either:
    • Copy of current lease and receipts or cancelled checks verifying the eligible payments from your covered period, or
    • Lessor account statements from Feb 2020 and your covered period plus one-month verifying eligible payments
• CATEGORY 6 - For business utility payments:
  • Docs verifying the existence of obligations before Feb 15, 2020, and
  • Copy of invoices from Feb 2020 and your covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying those invoiced payments
• CATEGORY 7 - For covered operations expenditures:
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders, paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements
• CATEGORY 8 - For covered property damage costs:
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders, paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying those eligible payments, and
  • Documentation that the costs were related to property damage and vandalism or looting due to public disturbances that occurred during 2020 and such costs were not covered by insurance or other compensation
• CATEGORY 9 - For covered supplier costs:
  • Copy of contracts, orders, or purchase orders in effect at any time before the covered period (except for perishable goods), and
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying eligible payments
• CATEGORY 10 - For covered worker protection expenditures:
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders, paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying those eligible payments, and
  • Documentation that the expenditures were used by the borrower to comply with the applicable COVID-19 guidance during the covered period

Full-time employee evidence:

• CATEGORY 11 - If you checked only the 2nd box on the checklist on p. 1 of the Form EZ instructions, evidence showing the average number of full-time equivalent employees on payroll on Jan 1, 2020, and at the end of the covered period.

Form 3508

In general, you must show expenses used in your forgiveness application and must be from or cover the covered period.

For payroll (cash and non-cash benefits), each of the following:

• CATEGORY 1 - Third-party payroll provider reports or bank account statements showing cash comp paid to employees.
• CATEGORY 2 - Tax forms or third-party payroll provider reports showing:
• (1) Payroll tax filings reported (or to be reported) to the IRS (e.g., Form 941), and
• (2) State quarterly business and individual wage reporting and unemployment insurance filings reported (or to be reported).
• CATEGORY 3 - Payment receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, showing the amounts for any employer contributions to group health, life, disability, vision, or dental insurance and retirement plans (based on PPP Schedule A, lines (6) and (7)).

For nonpayroll, as applicable:

• CATEGORY 4 - For business mortgage interest payments, provide both:
  • Docs verifying the existence of obligations before Feb 15, 2020, and
  • Either:
    • Copy of lender amortization schedule and receipts or cancelled checks verifying eligible payments from the covered period, or 
    • Lender account statements from Feb 2020 and your covered period plus one month verifying both interest amounts and eligible payments
• CATEGORY 5 - For business rent/lease payments, both:
  • Docs verifying the existence of obligations before Feb 15, 2020, and
  • Either:
    • Copy of current lease and receipts or cancelled checks verifying the eligible payments from your covered period, or
    • Lessor account statements verifying eligible payments from Feb 2020 and your covered period plus one month
• CATEGORY 6 - For business utility payments, both:
  • Docs verifying the existence of obligations before Feb 15, 2020, and
  • Copy of invoices from Feb 2020 and your covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying those invoiced payments
• CATEGORY 7 - For covered operations expenditures:
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders, paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements
• CATEGORY 8 - For covered property damage costs:
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying those eligible payments, and
  • Documentation that the costs were related to property damage and vandalism or looting due to public disturbances that occurred during 2020 and such costs were not covered by insurance or other compensation
• CATEGORY 9 - For covered supplier costs:
  • Copy of contracts, orders, or purchase orders in effect at any time before the covered period (except for perishable goods), and
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders, paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying eligible payments
• CATEGORY 10 - For covered worker protection expenditures:
  • Copy of invoices, orders, or purchase orders paid during the covered period, and
  • Receipts, cancelled checks, or account statements, verifying those eligible payments, and
  • Documentation that the expenditures were used by the borrower to comply with the applicable COVID-19 guidance during the covered period

For full-time equivalent employees: 

• CATEGORY 11 -- Must provide docs from Category 2 above for one of the following periods (from the time period used on Schedule A, line 11):
  • The average number of FTE employees on payroll per week between Feb 15, 2019, and Jun 30, 2019, 
  • The average number of FTE employees on payroll per week between Jan 1, 2020, and Feb 29, 2020, or
  • For seasonal employers, the average number of FTE employees on payroll per week (1) between Feb 15, 2019, and Jun 30, 2019, (2) between Jan 1, 2020, and Feb 29, 2020, or (3) any consecutive 12-week period between Feb 15, 2019, and Feb 15, 2020

Form 3508D

If the President or Vice President of the United States, the head of an Executive Department (as defined in 5 U.S.C. § 101), a member of Congress, or a spouse of any of the foregoing owns a “controlling interest” in your business, you must complete and submit Form 3508D. 

• For Form 3508D, a “controlling interest” means voting, controlling, or holding 20% or more (by vote or value), of the outstanding amount of any class of “equity.”  You must aggregate interests controlled by an individual and their spouse when determining the controlling interest amount. 
• For Form 3508D, “equity” means (1) shares (regardless if they are transferable or classified as stock), (2) capital or profit interest in an LLC or partnership, or (3) warrant or other right (other than a right to convert), to purchase, sell, or subscribe to a share of interest described in (1) or (2). 

The information, opinions, and advice in this post are provided for educational purposes only and do not necessarily state or reflect those of Bluevine and/or its partners, including Celtic Bank. Neither Bluevine nor its partners are responsible for the accuracy of any content provided by author(s) or contributor(s). For information about Bluevine products and services, please visit the Bluevine FAQ page. For information about the Paycheck Protection Program, please visit the SBA’s page.