On 21 April, the online service for applications for the fourth Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant was opened for claims, HMRC confirmed. All applications must be submitted by the individual self-employed worker and cannot be handled by accountants or tax advisers. The fourth grant will be 80% of three months’ average trading profits, to… Read more…

On 6 April, the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) was introduced to replace the government’s coronavirus lending schemes. The RLS provides financial support to businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme gives lenders a guarantee of 80% on eligible loans between £25,000 and £10 million to give them confidence in continuing to provide finance to… Read more…

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has urged the government to extend the Kickstart Scheme to help young people who are bearing the brunt of the subdued job market. The Kickstart Scheme was launched in September and promised to pay the wages and associated employment costs for businesses taking on 16 to 24-year-olds in receipt… Read more…

On 19 April, a government-backed mortgage scheme to help people with 5% deposits get on to the housing ladder was made available to lenders. First announced at the 2021 Budget, the scheme will help first-time buyers or current homeowners secure a mortgage with just a 5% deposit to buy a house worth up to £600,000.… Read more…

Employees who are working from home will need to make new claims for tax relief for the 2021/22 tax year, HMRC has stated. From 6 April 2020, employers have been able to pay employees up to £6 a week tax-free to cover additional costs if they have had to work from home. Employees who have… Read more…

The fourth Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant is now live and HMRC has set out the penalties for abuse of the scheme. An overclaimed SEISS grant includes any amount of grant which the self-employed individual was not entitled to receive or was more than the amount HMRC said the applicant was entitled to when… Read more…

Losses from pension fraud rose to £1.8 million in the first three months of this year, according to figures from Action Fraud. 107 reports of pension fraud were made in the first quarter of 2021, an increase of almost 45% when compared to the same period in 2020. Pension scams often include free pension reviews,… Read more…

The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) has stated that the recent changes to the rules relating to off-payroll workers, commonly known as IR35, ‘undermine the self-employed at the worst possible time’. The changes to IR35 took effect on 6 April 2021 and shifted responsibility for making the decision on employment status on… Read more…

The last year has been unprecedented, with the advent of Covid and subsequent restrictions, so much of daily life has completely changed. For most people, this has meant working from home. One of the major changes that comes with home working is virtual meetings and the app of choice for most is Zoom. Zoom allows… Read more…

The details of the Finance Bill 2021 have been published by the government. The Bill outlines the key measures set to be brought into legislation, including many measures announced in the recent 2021 Budget. In his Budget speech, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced an extension of the stamp duty holiday in England; a super-deduction capital allowance;… Read more…