Covid-19 SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES THAT PAY LITTLE OR NO BUSINESS RATES

The Government is providing additional funding through Local Authorities to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBRR), rural rate relief (RRR) and tapered relief. This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.  If you do not receive a Business Rates Bill from your local authority, this does not apply to you.

You are eligible if;

• Your business is based in England AND
• You are a small business and already receive Small Business Rate Relief and /or Rural Rate Relief.
• You are a business that occupies property.

You do not need to do anything to access this scheme.  Your local authority will write to you if you are eligible for this grant.

If you have any queries as to whether you qualify for this please contact your Local Authority not HMRC.

Covid-19 Job Retention Scheme

Job Retention

Help is available if you can’t keep paying your employees because there is no work or you have been forced to close under the instruction of Government.   Full details of the scheme still need to be determined but, initially here’s what you need to do:

• Notify the relevant employee(s) that they are now categorised as a ‘furloughed worker’, providing your reasoning behind this decision. This can be backdated to 1^st March 2020.
• You may need to amend the employee’s contract of employment in order that they can be furloughed.
• HMRC should be notified as soon as possible that you have done this. Unfortunately, at the moment there is no mechanism for doing this, they are working on it.  We will let you know as soon as this is available.
• You continue to pay your employees.
• HMRC will reimburse you with 80% of that employee’s Gross wages upto a maximum of £2,500 for three months initially.   You can, if you choose, pay 100% of the employee’s salary, receiving 80% from the Government and the business paying the extra 20%.
• The business should not expect to receive reimbursement for at least a month, again HMRC have no mechanism as yet to repay monies to employers. Realistically it could be May before any reimbursements are received.
• The grant can only start once the employee ceases to work, therefore prompt action will need to be taken to obtain worker’s agreement.

Keep channels of communication as open as possible with your employees during this unsettling time, as the health and wellbeing of your employees will be your first concern.

Covid-19 Self-Employed

The Chancellor has announced a new Self-employment Income Support Scheme to support self-employed people who have been adversely affected by COVID-19.

GOV‌.UK has further details about who is eligible for the scheme and how it will work.

Self-employed people do not need to get in touch with HMRC as the scheme isn’t yet open for applications. HMRC will contact eligible customers by the beginning of June, inviting them to apply.

Unfortunately, there is an increase in scam emails, calls and texts. If someone gets in touch claiming to be from HMRC, saying that financial help can be claimed or that a tax refund is owed, and asks you to click on a link or to give information such as your name, credit card or bank details, please do not respond.

HMRC will never contact you out of the blue to ask for these details.

The government has also introduced the following help for the self-employed:

• Deferral of Self Assessment Income Tax payments due in July 2020 and VAT payments due from 20 March 2020 until 3‌0‌‌ June 2020
• Grants for businesses that pay little or no business rates
• Increased amounts of Universal Credit
• Business Interruption Loan Scheme
• Directors of their own company paid through PAYE, may be able to get support using the Job Retention Scheme.

Personal Tax Returns Even If Your Late

Let us help you manage your tax return!  The Government has announced help for the self-employed. But what if you were self-employed and have forgotten to complete your 2018-2019 Self-assessment return?

We can help, whether your a client of ours or not we can help you complete your return for 2018-2019. Contact and sign up with us and we will assist.

You have until 20th April 2020 to file a late return. Act Now!

VAT and Tax Advice

In an era where the threat of penalties and interest is likely to accompany any error, businesses and individuals cannot afford to make mistakes when it comes to VAT and Tax.

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