While most Covid restrictions in England ended on Monday 19 July, the requirements for people testing positive and their close contacts to self-isolate will continue to apply until 16 August, when they will change for under-18s and double-vaccinated adults. However, with more than 600,000 people required to self-isolate as close contacts of a positive Covid […]
Freedom Day – What does it mean for businesses?
From 19 July the majority of the remaining Coronavirus pandemic restrictions will end in England, with a similar reduction of measures in Wales and Scotland. Commonly being referred to as Freedom Day, this final step in reopening the economy will see many of the rules placed upon businesses removed. Instead, the Government has decided to […]
Guidance for the fifth round of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) published
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published detailed guidance for the fifth round of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), which will open for claims in the coming weeks. Instead of announcing a specific date on which the new round of the scheme will go live, HMRC will contact self-employed individuals it has identified as […]
Time is running out to join the VAT Deferral Scheme
Companies now have less than one month left to join the VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme. The deadline to join the scheme on 21 June has prompted HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to issue a fresh warning to businesses that haven’t already joined the scheme, that they face a five per cent penalty if they […]
Is your business ready for the changes to furlough?
Following the Government’s decision to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) earlier this year, businesses now have the opportunity to rely on this support until the end of September. Introduced more than a year ago, the furlough scheme (as it is more commonly known) has helped many businesses to retain talented employees without having […]
Insolvency Service to be given new powers to tackle directors who misused COVID loan schemes
Directors of dissolved companies who have benefited from the Government-backed Coronavirus loan schemes, who now do not intend to repay them, could find themselves facing tough sanctions. The Government has announced that the Insolvency Service will be given new powers to investigate directors of companies that have been dissolved to avoid the repayment of loans. […]
HMRC contacts self-employed individuals who could be eligible for fourth SEISS grant
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is now contacting self-employed individuals who could be eligible for the fourth round of the Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The fourth round of the scheme covers the period from 1 February 2021 to 30 April 2021 and is worth 80 per cent of three months’ average trading profits, […]
Furlough scheme guidance updated
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has published a series of updates to its guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), more commonly known as the ‘furlough scheme’. The updates cover the changes to the scheme as it is extended from 1 May 2021 to 30 September 2021. The guidance confirms that new employees who […]
New claims needed to continue receiving working from home tax relief
Employees who are continuing to work from home as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic and whose expenses have not been reimbursed by their employers should make new claims to continue receiving working from home tax relief. This is because claims made in the 2020-21 tax year, which ended on 5 April 2021, will not […]