Category: Business Support

The companies who have borrowed money from banks under Bounce back Loans (BBL) without fulfilling the qualifying requirement could be facing trouble in the days to come.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fraudulent-companies-shut-down-after-abusing-covid-loan-support

This is based on our views on a recent interesting case where a haulage company based in the West Midlands have their operator licence revoked. This followed a public inquiry into the company by the traffic commissioner for the West Midlands.

The traffic commissioner found that almost all the company’s financial resources had been provided by a £50,000 Bounce Back loan in May 2020. The Bounce Back Loans scheme was launched in May 2020 to provide financial support to businesses across the UK that were losing revenue, and seeing their cashflow disrupted, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme allowed qualifying small businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 with no fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months.

However, the company in question had a turnover that was far below the £200,000 necessary to qualify for such a loan – the maximum permissible being 25% of turnover or £50,000, whichever is the lower.

There were also issues with the company’s bank statements that were provided as evidence of financial standing. The company also had a very poor maintenance record and numerous tachograph infringements.

Please book a free consultation with us if you wish to know more about the implication.

The final deadline for making a claim under the 5th Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is 30 September 2021. The SEIS scheme is only open to those self-employed with annual profits of less than £50,000 and who receive at least half their income from self-employment. 

Self-employed persons whose turnover has fallen by more than 30% will qualify for an 80% grant, capped at £7,500. Those with decreases in turnover of less than 30% are restricted to a 30% claim, capped at £2,850. When making a claim, the online service will ask for turnover figures and compare them. The claims service will then tell the applicant if they can claim the higher or lower grant amount.

The turnover figures will be used to compare turnover in the pandemic year from April 2020 – April 2021. This ‘pandemic’ year turnover should then be compared to a previous year's turnover, known as the ‘reference’ year. For most self-employed the turnover reported in 2019-20 should be used as the reference year. However, this is not always the case and if 2019-20 was not a normal year for the business in question, the turnover reported in 2018-19 can be used. 

COVID-19 support payments such as previous SEISS grants, and local authority or devolved administration grants should not be included in the turnover figure. 

Temporary measures that have given a huge boost to high streets and hospitality during the pandemic could be made permanent following a public consultation launched in September 2021.

From marquees being put up in pub grounds, to street markets operating all year round, permitted development rights that have allowed people to enjoy al fresco dining and visit town centres and tourist attractions as the nation reopened from the pandemic.

These planning reforms also gave businesses and councils a lifeline to operate alongside the right to regenerate and new licensing arrangements.

The government is aiming to make a number of these permanent so that people can continue to enjoy outdoor hospitality and local attractions, and businesses can innovate, as we build back better from the pandemic. The public will now be able to give their views on the proposed reforms, so they can continue to benefit everyone in the future.

These changes will be welcomed by the hospitality trades badly affected by COVID restrictions.

Now we just need good weather in the coming winter months so that these relaxations can be fully exploited by affected traders. 

The Help to Grow: Management course is a government backed programme to help business leaders develop their strategic skills, create jobs and boost their business performance.

The 12-week programme is delivered by over 40 leading business schools across the UK and combines a practical curriculum with 1 to1 business mentor support throughout and includes modules on financial management, strategies for growth and innovation, and approaches to digital adoption. 

The government has committed to making 30,000 places available on the course over the next 3 years. The cost of the course is 90% subsidised by the government and costs only £750.

UK businesses from any sector that have been operating for more than one year, with between 5 to 249 employees are eligible to enrol. The participant in the course should be the decision maker or member of the senior management team within the business. Charities are not eligible as the scheme is designed to support commercial enterprises.

The Business Secretary said:

‘Help to Grow: Management is a fantastic scheme to equip ambitious business leaders with the tools to take their business to the next level, helping create an even more high-productivity, high-wage economy we build back better from the pandemic.’

The Pubs Code Adjudicator is responsible for enforcing the statutory Pubs Code. The Pubs Code regulates the relationship between all pub companies owning 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales and their tied tenants. Tied tenants are those that are obliged to purchase beer and/or other products or services from their landlord.

An interesting case study was recently published on GOV.UK by the Pubs Code Adjudicator and explains in some detail how an Amersham based Pub managed to use the Market Rent Only (MRO) procedure to negotiate a reduced tied deal and further discounts. The MRO option allows for the granting of ‘free of tie’ rent between the tenant and the pub owning business. An MRO can only be requested at specific intervals such as the receipt of a rent assessment proposal or lease renewal.  

In the case at point, the pub tenant managed to save £20,000 on their tied rent and a significant discount on barrelage. This created total saving of some £65,000 a year.

Any tied pub tenants seeking an MRO are advised to take specialist advice as to how best to negotiate a new deal.

HM Treasury has published a Correction Treasury Direction made under the Coronavirus Act 2020, section 76, which modifies and extends the effect of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The Direction mainly deals with the expansion of the SEISS from 1 May 2021 to 30 September 2021, officially referred to as the SEISS Grant Extension 5 (SEISS 5).

The modified direction makes small changes to the Financial Impact Declaration (FID) Test with effect to claims made on or after 29 July 2021. The changes may affect those carrying on trade in a partnership.

The online portal for making a claim reopened on 29 July. However, the earliest date taxpayers can use the portal is being rolled out on a staggered basis with all those eligible for the SEISS 5 allowed to apply by 6 August at the latest. The final date for making a claim for the SEISS 5 is 30 September 2021. 

To be eligible for an SEISS 5 payment, self-employed individuals, including members of partnerships, must meet the necessary criteria. This fifth and final grant is more complicated than previous grants as the level of turnover will affect the amount of the grant.

Self-employed persons whose turnover has fallen by more than 30% will continue to qualify for the 80% grant, capped at £7,500. Those with decreases in turnover of less than 30% will be restricted to a 30% claim, capped at £2,850.

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.