Blog

The government has launched a new online platform to help businesses and the self employed easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus business support finder tool on gov.uk asks business owners to complete a short online questionnaire, and they will then be directed to a list of… Read more

Employees who started new jobs up until 19 March have now been brought into the scope of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and their employers can make a claim for 80% of their wages. The change was revealed in HM Revenue & Customs’ fourth iteration of its furlough scheme guidance, which has been published today (15… Read more

Around 8 weeks into the Coronavirus entering the UK and over 2 weeks since the total lockdown was announced by the Government, the shock, grief and anger phases have now started to wear off for most business owners who have been negatively impacted by this crisis.  Businesses are now turning to the fightback, their business’… Read more

On 4 April, the government published new guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).  Up until then, there has been much debate over whether Directors can be furloughed under the CJRS.  In this briefing, we discuss the furloughing of directors and what work they can still do when on furlough as statutory office holders. Can a… Read more

The temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme supports SMEs with access to loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million and for up to 6 years. The government will also make a Business Interruption Payment to cover the first 12 months of interest payments and any lender-levied fees, so smaller businesses will benefit… Read more

From April 2020, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are introducing new rules and processes for claiming the employment allowance. What’s changing? Employers who’s secondary (Employer contributions only) National Insurance bill was £100,000 or more in the previous tax year are no longer eligible to claim the employment allowance. Employment allowance is now considered a type of State Aid …. Read more

National Living and National Minimum Wage Increases Wage rates for all ages including apprentices will be going up on 1st April 2020. The Government has again accepted in full the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations to ensure a pay increase for the lowest paid workers that exceeds both inflation and average earnings. The rise follows the… Read more

Businesses participating in Making Tax Digital for VAT have until 1 April 2021 to meet the requirement to have ‘digital links’ within their recordkeeping in light of the coronavirus pandemic. To ease the burden on businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, HMRC has confirmed that it is allowing more time for participants in MTD for VAT to… Read more

City of York Council has launched a £1m local emergency fund to help businesses deal with the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The fund will target a range of support at about 1,000 small and micro companies, who are not set to benefit from the recently announced government support packages. In addition to the creation… Read more

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak has finally announced the measures the UK Government is to take, to help self-employed business people cope with the financial impact of the Coronavirus. This comes a week after the financial assistance package for employed workers was announced, but clearly any scheme to help the self-employed was bound to be more… Read more