This is an email that we have just sent to all our Self Assessment clients who might be eligible for the SEISS scheme. We are adding it to our blog page as it may be of help to others. We help clients who are working towards a better future for themselves, the environment and their communities. Through a partnership approach we aim to remove the stress involved with running your finances and to use our skills to help you prosper.
Email sent:
We are contacting you because we believe that you are eligible to claim under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. We consider that you may be eligible for the following reasons:
(1) we discussed your eligibility for the first round of claims in May 2020,
(2) that you are a new self-assessment client with a trade, or
(3) that we consider that it is worth you checking whether you are eligible or not.
Similar to May 2020, for the second claim, you will need:
(1) your UTR (10-digit unique taxpayer’s reference),
(2) your national insurance number,
(3) your gateway account and password.
(4) your bank details
With the bank details be careful to ensure that you enter the account name held by the bank and the address to which the bank account is registered.
The following link is to gov.uk where you can get access to information and a link to the claim process that takes you to your government gateway account (or the facility to set one up).
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme#claim
Please be very careful about scams, the scammers have now had time to develop schemes and tricks to attempt to obtain information from you. So be very careful, especially if anyone asks for information from you regarding any of the relevant information. Most importantly, don’t give any information to anyone that you don’t know or trust.
If you are concerned or have any questions, please call Peter on 07824 479 489 to discuss anything related to this matter. There is plenty of time to make this claim, so if in doubt, hold your horses and slow-you-down-bor (as we say in Norfolk). We can always do a video conference and share screens so that we can verify that you are making your claim correctly.
We apologise if you receive this note and it transpires that you are not eligible. We believe that most people on this mailing are eligible, but there are bound to some who are disappointed.
Warm regards
The Team at TBLA.
Peter number: 07824 479 489
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The following is the communication that we received from HMRC
Dear customer,
I wanted to let you know that our second Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant is opening for eligible people to claim. I would like to invite your support in making sure that your eligible clients who wish to claim, know how to do so and have the information they need.
This week we’re writing to self-employed people who may be eligible. The scheme will open for claims on 17?? August and customers have been given a date to make a claim. They can claim any time between their allocated date and the 19?? October 2020.
The eligibility criteria for the second grant is exactly the same as the first grant – so self-employed people who were eligible for the first SEISS grant will be eligible for the second grant, so long as their business has been adversely affected since 14?? July 2020. This typically means that their business has experienced lower income and / or higher costs because of coronavirus (COVID-19) since 14?? July. There is no minimum threshold over which a business’s income, costs or activity need to have changed by, but your clients will be asked to keep appropriate records as evidence of how their business has been adversely affected.
The second taxable grant is worth 70% of average monthly trading profits, a reduction from the 80% available under the first grant. This will be paid out in a single instalment and will be based on three months’ worth of trading profits and capped at a maximum of £6,570.
Eligible Parents
Self-employed parents whose income may have been affected if they took time out to have children will also now be able to claim if they meet the eligibility criteria. There’s more information for new parents, including an online form on GOV?.UK
Your role
I’d like to remind you that you cannot make a claim for a client. This is because it will trigger an alert and that leads to delays in payment reaching people who need the money to support their business. However, you can play a critical role in helping your client understand their eligibility and level of entitlement.
If your clients can apply online, this is the quickest and easiest way to claim whilst helping HMRC prioritise those that most need extra help. It takes most people less than 5 mins to claim online using their Government Gateway account and over 90% of our customers told us they are satisfied with the service. There are also new webinars and a short video on HMRC’s YouTube channel that you or your clients can use to ensure you know how the process works.
Once people have completed a claim, they will receive payment within 6 working days.
Our dedicated helpline for agents is available to handle complex eligibility enquiries, but we’d ask at this busy time that you only call us if you cannot find what you need on GOV?.UK.
May I take this opportunity to thank you in advance, you play a vital role in supporting your clients with SEISS, and supporting their needs at this difficult time. Thank you for your continued support.
Joanna Rowland
Director General
HMRC Covid-19 Response Unit
Peter Ellington is the Founder of Triple Bottom Line Accounting. He has a Doctorate in Education and campaigns for social and environmental justice.
