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Covid 19 Practice update 3

Further to our previous practice update please be advised that our office phone lines are currently open between 10.30am and 3.30pm.

Further HMRC updates

Self Employment

For business or the self-employed who have concerns about paying taxes due to coronavirus, HMRC have a helpline for help and advice: 0800 024 1222.

Please see the link below regarding deferral of the second payment on account for tax.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses#support-for-businesses-through-deferring-vat-and-income-tax-payments

The government have introduced a scheme to assist the self employed and the following link from the HMRC website explains the scheme:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

You will be contacted by HMRC if you are eligible and will ask you to apply on line. In the meantime you can also apply for universal credit but the first payment can take up to 5 weeks to receive.

Please see the link if you are new to Universal Credit:

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/new-to-universal-credit/how-and-when-youll-be-paid/

Employed

Please find information pertaining to the Job retention scheme if you have not already seen it.

HMRC GUIDANCE

“The government is committed to doing whatever it takes to support businesses and individuals through the Coronavirus pandemic. On 20 March as part of these efforts the Chancellor announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

This funding will be open to all employers with a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started on or before 28 February 2020, including charities. Employers can apply for grants of 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrollment employer pension contributions on that wage, provided they keep the worker employed. The scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March 2020, if applicable.

HMRC have been working night and day to develop this scheme, and we can now confirm that we have been able to publish further details of the scheme on GOV.UK. We are aiming to have the scheme up and running by the end of April 2020. More detailed guidance will be published in due course and please be assured we will advise you when the scheme is open.

Guidance for employers is available on GOV.UK. You may also find the guidance for employees helpful.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

We recommend you view the guidance which will be updated as the scheme is further developed, and in line with any further government announcements.

In the meantime, we will continue to keep you informed to ensure that you have access to the assistance you need.

We will let you know as soon as the new HMRC PAYE portal is up and running which should be sometime around the end of April.”

We will be glad to assist on any of the above and will provide further information as it arises.

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