SEISS – more red tape

Government support to the self-employed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is due to end on 30 September 2021. A fifth and final grant covering the period May 2021 to September 2021 will be opened to claims from late July for those who have suffered a significant reduction in trading profits. To qualify for the grant, average trading profits must be £50,000 or less and non-trading income cannot exceed 50% of total income.

The grant will see those whose turnover has fallen by 30% or more continuing to receive the full 80% grant (capped at £7,500) whilst those whose turnover has fallen by less than 30% will receive a 30% grant (capped at £2,850). This is a change from the previous SEISS grants where there was only one grant available to qualifying applicants.

HMRC is in the process of contacting eligible taxpayers to notify them of their personal claim date. Taxpayers will be able to make claims from this date up until the claims service closes on 30 September 2021.

Most taxpayers claiming the fifth SEISS grant will be required to provide turnover figures to make a claim. The turnover figures will be used to compare the 'pandemic year' with a 'reference period'.

Newly self-employed people, who had previously been excluded from claims because they commenced their trade during the 2019-20 tax year, are eligible to claim the fifth SEISS grants if their tax return for 2019-20 was filed by midnight 2 March 2021. They must also have traded or intended to trade in 2020-21 and intend to continue doing so.

HMRC is also warning taxpayers to be on the lookout for SEISS-related scams and to only respond to correspondence that is verified to be legitimate.

More Posts

Breaking even – checking the numbers

In previous newsfeeds we have described how you can calculate the level of turnover you need to create in order to meet all your costs whether they be fixed costs (rent, rates etc.,) or variable costs (goods you need to buy to convert into goods you sell).

For example, if your fixed costs are £50,000 per annum and your variable costs are 25% of your turnover, the annual turnover you need to breakeven will be £200,000. The formula is:

Annual fixed costs divided by 25 (the gross profit)

Bereavement Support Payment

The amount of Bereavement Support Payment you can claim will depend on your relationship to the person who died and when you make your claim.

Your payments will be paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If you were married or in a registered civil partnership with the person who died

If you were receiving Child Benefit when your partner died (or did not get it but were entitled to it), you will get the higher rate.

This is made up of:

a first payment of £3,500;

Tax codes for employees

The P9X form is used to notify employers of the tax codes to use for employees. The latest version of the form has been published and shows the tax codes to use from 6 April 2023. The form states that the basic personal allowance for the tax year starting 6 April 2023 will, as expected, be £12,570 (£12,570 in 2022-23) and this means that the tax code for emergency use will remain at 1257L.

The basic rate limit will be £37,700 (£37,700 in 2022-23) except for those defined as Scottish taxpayers

Properties not let at commercial rates

There are special rules where a property is let at less than a commercial rate or isn’t let on commercial terms. These rules also apply if a property is occupied rent free or at less than a commercial rate, for example, a property is occupied by a family member at a reduced or nil rent.

In these circumstances, HMRC can take the view that unless the landlord charges a full market rent for a property and imposes normal market lease conditions, it is unlikely that the expenses of the property are

Send Us A Message