COVID-19

The government is offering grants to enable businesses to open up safely now that the Covid restrictions are starting to be lifted. Read this blog to see if your business may be eligible.

In the recent Budget, the chancellor has set out further support for the self-employed. In addition to the upcoming fourth grant there will also be a fifth SEISS grant covering the 5 months to 30 September.

The Chancellor has announced a number of changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. The scheme has been extended until 30 September 2021 and the level of grant available to employers under the scheme will stay the same until 30 June 2021.

If you have deferred your VAT liability due to Coronavirus, make sure you know your options for payment!

Following the announcement by the Prime Minister on the 31 October regarding the new lockdown in England for the commencing 4 November, the CJRS has been extended until December.

Are you eligible to claim the SEISS extension grant? Make sure you know what you can claim for.

The Local Restrictions Support Grant will apply if your business is placed into lockdown, but there may also be some discretionary grants available from your local council.

With the Job Retention Scheme set to finish by the end of October, what support is there for employers?

On Thursday 24th September 2020 the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, made a statement in Parliament where he announced a series of measures to help jobs and businesses.

Businesses are being urged to prepare for the NHS COVID-19 app by downloading QR codes before the public rollout on 24 September.

The application process for the Kickstart Scheme is now live, but do you know what’s involved?

If you're looking to make energy-efficient improvements, these grants may help!

Forecasting and scenario planning can help ensure you are better equipped to deal with different situations as they arise, but what is scenario planning?

With the government building a plan for jobs, there are not only changes to apprenticeships but also a new Kickstarter job scheme.

Businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector can now reduce their rate of VAT, but only on certain goods and services!

New business grants for small and medium sized businesses to access new technology and other equipment to help adapt, recover and rebuild.

The government has released guidance on how to claim for the Job Retention Bonus – make sure you know what to do!

On Wednesday 8th July 2020, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak made a speech entitled “Summer Economic Update” where he unveiled further Government supports and he unveiled the Government’s plan for jobs, which he described as the “Second phase in in the Government’s economic response to the crisis.” Gimmicks or sound economic thinking?

The deadline for the 1st round of self-employed income support scheme grants is 13 July 2020. Make sure you do not miss out on making a claim.

On 29 May 2020, the Chancellor announced some changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that will likely impact a lot of businesses - the "Flexible Furlough Scheme"

The Government launches its test and trace service and has issued related guidance for the public and businesses in England.

Everything has changed. For many businesses the coming months will be a real challenge. With the removal of lockdown and a deep recession many businesses will not survive. If you have been adversely impacted by Covid 19 here is our 10 point plan to not only survive but more importantly thrive.

If you are considering re-opening your business premises as the lockdown provisions start to be lifted you may find there are a lot of changes that need to be made in order to comply with the government guidance.

The Government has announced a new scheme to issue convertible loans to innovative companies which are facing financing difficulties due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

There are a few technicalities that businesses should be aware of when they are taking advantage of any Coronavirus Business Support.

Over the last few years many people have cancelled their child benefit payments because their income levels have meant they would otherwise need to pay back the benefit claimed in full through their self assessment Tax Return. However with the current crisis this may need a rethink.

The Government has announced an improvement to the grants that are currently available for small businesses.

The portal went live on Monday 20th April and has proven fairly easy to use. The big problem has been the calculations, with HMRC changing the rules and issuing new guidance at 5pm on Friday 17th April!

The current crisis has highlighted to many business owners how precarious business really is. Many businesses have suffered. Now is the time to start rebuilding and one of the first things to do is determine your break even point.

One key lesson many clients will have learnt over the last few weeks is that your team is not only a great asset to your business but can also be a liability.

This is war! Not only are we battling as a nation to preserve real lives, we (as business owners) are battling to preserve our way of life - our businesses. So as a leader here are three key actions you need to take to get your team through this period.

Increased pressure from businesses unable to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBILS) funding has led to the government announcing a new loan scheme for those in need of smaller loans.

Zoom is a top-notch online video conferencing service provider for business users which we highly recommend from personal experience.

Charities across the UK will receive a £750 million package of support to ensure they can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak, tens of thousands of charities will benefit from direct cash grants to ensure they can meet increased demand as a result of the virus as well as continuing their day-to-day activities supporting those in need.

We look at what action business owners can take to ensure their staff stay motivated, productive and mentally healthy during an extended period of working from home.

Recent events are putting considerable strain on businesses which rent leasehold premises so what options do you have? We believe that it is in the tenant and the landlord’s interest to work together to come up with a solution which in the long run will benefit both parties.

We examine the circumstances in which a company director can furlough themselves and take advantage of the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The impact of Covid19 could adversely affect both tenants and landlords. We examine what help the government is giving to both of these groups of individuals.

The Chancellor announced the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) in his latest Budget. This scheme opens for applications from 23 March 2020 and can provide facilities of up to £5m for smaller businesses across the UK who are experiencing lost or deferred revenues, leading to disruptions to their cash flow.

The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support businesses through this period of disruption. Regrettably for most of the self-employed there is little help.

The Chancellor outlined a package of measures that have never been seen before in order to protect million’s of jobs and incomes in response to the coronavirus crisis. A new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be set up to help pay people’s wages.

Given the recent advice from our prime minster about working from home where applicable, many employees will be wondering whether they can make a tax claim for working from home.

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in the budget that Statutory Sick Pay is to be paid from the first day of sickness absence, rather than the fourth day, for people who have COVID-19 or have to self-isolate, in line with official guidance.

There is no doubt we are living in unprecedented times. The coronavirus has increased uncertainty to levels that we in the UK have not seen for decades. The first thing to say however is that life goes on and to a large extent we can only deal with what is immediately in front of us....