Use the Government’s eligibility checker to confirm whether you are entitled to make a claim. 
 
The claims portal for the existing Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (“SEISS”) went live on 13 May 2020 to provide the self-employed with a taxable grant worth 80% of their average monthly taxable profits capped at a total of £7,500.  Payments have followed within six working days of making the claim.  If you haven’t yet claimed the grant then you must do so before 13 July 2020. ​

​Ashgates have passed their Cyber Essentials Certification for another year. We take Cyber Security very seriously and this demonstrates we are continually working to secure our business and its data.

Cyber Essentials is a Government backed scheme, helping organisations improve their defences & demonstrate publicly, their commitment to Cyber Security.

Having reviewed our own policies, procedures and defences it is great to know that we not only comply but also exceed the requirements in many areas.

If you would like to see how Cyber Essentials can benefit your business, working to secure your customers data and demonstrate your commitment to Cyber Security, please get in touch with Ashgates IT for more information.

HMRC have published the updated rates for mileage claims on company cars that take effect from 1 June 2020.

You can use the previous rates for up to one month from the date the new rates apply.  The advisory fuel rates per mile for journeys undertaken on or after 1 June 2020 are:

The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme goes live on Tuesday 26 May for employers to recover the costs of paying coronavirus related SSP to employees for eligible periods of sickness starting on or after 13 March 2020.

Employers are eligible to the rebate if they have a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started before 28 February 2020 and they had fewer than 250 employees (in aggregate across group companies) before the same date.

The claimable rate of SSP is £94.25 per week for periods up to 5 April 2020 and £95.85 per week thereafter.  The maximum claim can cover up to two weeks of SSP and is payable if an employee is unable to work because they:

• have coronavirus; or
• are self-isolating and unable to work from home; or
• are shielding because they’ve been advised that they’re at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus
  
  

If employers have paid contractual sick pay in excess of the rates of SSP then the rebate is limited to the statutory rates detailed above.  A doctor’s fit note is not required; any SSP paid for non-coronavirus relates sickness does not qualify for the rebate.
Employers can claim back from both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme for the same employee but not for the same period of time for that employee.

How to claim

If Ashgates already provide a payroll service to you, then you need take no further action, as Ashgates payroll team will make the claim on your behalf when preparing your payroll.

If Ashgates don’t provide a payroll service to you, HMRC have released the following information to help you prepare to make a claim through the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme.
As you prepare to make a claim, please note:

• The online service to reclaim the SSP paid will be available from 26 May 2020.
• To use the online service you will need the Government Gateway user ID you got when you registered for PAYE Online. If you did not register online you will need to enrol for the PAYE Online service.  Click here for a link to this service.
• you can make the claim yourself even if you usually use an agent
  
  

Information you will need before you make a claim
You will need to have the following available to make the claim:

• your employer PAYE scheme reference number
• contact name and phone number of someone HMRC can contact if we have queries
• UK bank or building society details (only provide bank account details where a Bacs payment can be accepted)
• the total amount of coronavirus SSP you have paid to your employees for the claim period - this should not exceed the weekly rate that is set
• the number of employees you are claiming for
• the start date and end date of the claim period
  ​

Records you must keep
You must keep the following records for 3 years after the date you receive the payment for your claim:

• the dates the employee was off sick
• which of those dates were qualifying days
• the reason they were off work - if they had symptoms, someone they lived with had symptoms or they were shielding
• the employee’s National Insurance number
  
  

You can choose how you keep records of your employees’ sickness absence. HMRC may need to see these records if there’s a dispute over payment of SSP.

Should you have any questions or need further advice in this matter please contact us.

HMRC has released guidance on the COVID-19 Self-employment Income Support Scheme.

The UK government launched an online platform to help businesses access financial support during the COVID-19 crisis.

HMRC has confirmed it will not charge penalties for the late reporting of capital gains tax (CGT) on disposals of UK residential property by UK residents made by 31 July 2020.