| Dear customer, I'm writing to you with the latest information about financial support schemes available to help you during the pandemic. This includes a reminder of the 14 May deadline for submitting your April Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) claims, information on CJRS eligibility and the latest on VAT deferral. - April CJRS claims
- CJRS eligibility for claim periods from May
- Frequently asked questions about the CJRS
- VAT deferral – apply now to spread your payments
- Where can I get further support?
- A word about scams
April CJRS claims Thank you if you have submitted your April furlough claims already. If you haven't submitted them yet, you must do so by the deadline of Friday 14 May. You can currently claim 80% of your furloughed employees' usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, to the end of June. You can claim before, during or after you process your payroll. If you can, it's best to make a claim once you're sure of the exact number of hours your employees will work so you don't have to amend your claim later. What you need to do now - Check if you're eligible and work out how much you can claim using our CJRS calculator and examples, by searching 'Job Retention Scheme' on GOV.UK.
- Submit any claims for April no later than Friday 14 May.
- Keep records that support the amount of CJRS grants you claim, in case HMRC needs to check them.
You must pay the associated employee tax and National Insurance contributions to HMRC. If you don't do that, you'll need to repay the whole of the CJRS grant, as this is a condition of applying for the grant. Back to the top
CJRS eligibility for claim periods from May If you have employees who have previously been ineligible for the CJRS, as they were not on your payroll on 30 October 2020, they may be eligible for periods from 1 May 2021 onwards. For claim periods from May, you can now claim for eligible employees who were on your PAYE payroll on 2 March 2021. This means you must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission between 20 March 2020 and 2 March 2021, notifying HMRC of earnings for that employee. You and your employees do not need to have benefitted from the scheme before to make a claim, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. For more information on eligibility, search 'check if you can claim for your employees' wages' on GOV.UK. Back to the top
Frequently asked questions about the CJRS You can find everything you need to know about the CJRS on GOV.UK by searching 'Job Retention Scheme', and here are some answers to the most common questions that employers have been asking us recently: How much can I claim through the CJRS? The UK Government will continue to pay 80% of your furloughed employees' usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, to the end of June. In July, CJRS grants will cover 70% of employees' usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,187.50. In August and September, this will then reduce to 60% of employees' usual wages up to a cap of £1,875. You will need to pay the difference from July, so that you continue to pay your furloughed employees at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work during this time, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. You must also pay the associated employee tax and National Insurance contributions to HMRC. If you don't do that, you'll need to repay the whole of the CJRS grant to us. Can I claim a CJRS grant to pay for holiday leave? If you have furloughed employees because of the impact of the pandemic on your business, you can claim under the CJRS for periods of paid leave they take while on furlough, including for bank holidays. You should not place employees on furlough just because they are going to be on leave. If your employee is furloughed for only some of their hours, you can count time taken as holiday as furloughed hours, rather than working hours. This means you can currently claim for 80% of your employee's usual wages when they're on leave. In line with the Working Time Regulations, if a furloughed employee takes holiday you should make sure you are calculating the correct holiday pay, and not simply continuing to pay the 80% you receive through the CJRS. You may need to top up your employees' pay to 100% of their normal hourly rate or salary. For more information search 'check if you can claim for your employees' wages' and 'holiday entitlement and pay during coronavirus' on GOV.UK. Back to the top
VAT deferral – apply now to spread your payments The VAT deferral new payment scheme is open for all businesses who deferred paying VAT due between 20 March and 30 June 2020 and have been unable to pay in full by 31 March 2021. Apply now to spread these payments – businesses that join by 19 May 2021 can pay in up to nine monthly instalments. The later businesses join, the fewer instalments will be available to them. You can join the easy-to-use scheme quickly and simply online by 21 June, without needing to call us. To find out more, including what you need to join online, go to GOV.UK and search 'VAT deferral'. If you're still unable to pay and need more time, please contact us – go to GOV.UK and search 'if you cannot pay your tax bill on time'. You may be charged a 5% penalty and/or interest if you do not pay in full, sign up to the scheme or get in touch with us to make an arrangement to pay by 30 June 2021. Back to the top
Where can I get further support? Thousands of people have benefitted from our webinars which offer information on the CJRS and other government support, and how they apply to you. To book online, or to view updated guidance, go to GOV.UK and search 'help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus'. If you're booked on a webinar but can no longer attend, please cancel your place to allow space for others to register. There's a list of monthly claims deadlines and a helpful step-by-step guide on GOV.UK, summarising the latest information on the CJRS and the steps you need to take to make a claim – you can find these by searching 'Job Retention Scheme step by step guide'. To find out what other financial support may be available for you and your business as part of the UK Government's Plan for Jobs, search 'find coronavirus financial support' on GOV.UK. Back to the top
A word about scams We are aware of recent increases in scam phone calls, emails and texts. If someone contacts you claiming to be from HMRC saying that you owe tax and face arrest, are due a tax refund, that your National Insurance number has been compromised, or asking you to transfer money, or for bank or other personal details, it might be a scam. Search GOV.UK for our 'scams checklist' and to find out how to report tax scams. You can also access the National Cyber Security Centre's new guide on how to stay secure online and protect yourself or your business against cybercrime by searching 'Cyber Aware'. I hope this information helps you and your business, and we'll continue to keep you updated. Yours faithfully  Jim Harra Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary – HMRC | 
No comments:
Post a Comment