Two further arrests have been made in connection with fraud relating to the CJRS for the sum of £70,000. An accountant from Romford and a Company Director from Walthamstow have both been arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and money laundering.Both individuals have since been released under investigation, but devices and business records have been retained by police.This is not the first arrest made in connection with suspected fraud, back in July arrests were made in … [Read more...]
Up to £3.5bn furlough claims fraudulent or paid in error – HMRC
HMRC told MP’s on the Public Accounts Committee it estimates that 5-10% of furlough has been wrongly awarded, with the latest data showing the programme has cost the Government £35.4bn so far.So far, 8,000 calls have been received to HMRC’s fraud hotline.The furlough scheme had paid 80% of wages for the workers placed on leave since March due to the coronavirus outbreak.Employers are being urged to check their claims and repay any excess amount back to HMRC.As it stands HMRC are … [Read more...]
Support for working families affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)
Families that benefit from government-funded childcare support were given a boost today as the government announced that they would not lose out due to coronavirus (COVID-19).Working parents or carers who are eligible for Tax-Free Childcare or 30 hours free childcare but have temporarily fallen below the minimum income requirement as a result of the pandemic will continue to receive financial support until 31 October 2020.Critical workers who may exceed the income threshold … [Read more...]
UPDATE: CJRS
On Tuesday 21st July, HMRC conducted a CJRS webinar for employer’s in relation to the scheme as we move into the final stages of furlough. We have listed the key facts below following the information shared during the webinar.What has changed?From July 1st, employers could bring back employees for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim the CJRS grant for their normal working hours not worked. They must have previously furloughed employees for a full … [Read more...]
Coronavirus Update
Some 61% of jobs done by these young women had wages paid by the state, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said.Young men of the same age were also more likely than not to have been furloughed, hitting 58% of their jobs.Men aged in their 40s and women aged 41 to 58 were least likely to have been put on the scheme.Anne Willmot, age campaign director at Business in the Community, said: "Young people are being locked out of employment at the start of their careers - a key time for them to … [Read more...]
£11 billion boost for taxpayers facing difficulty due to coronavirus
Anyone who has difficulty paying their second 2019 to 2020 Self Assessment payment on account can take advantage of automatically deferring the payment until 31 January 2021, HMRC is reminding taxpayers.The second Self Assessment payment on account for 2019 to 2020 is ordinarily due at the end of July, but the government previously announced it is supporting the self-employed and others by allowing them to defer this payment.This option to defer is on top of additional support … [Read more...]
Tax credits update
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding tax credits customers that they need to tell HMRC about any changes in their circumstances or income by 31 July 2020.Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support so it is important that people don’t miss out on money that they are entitled to.Renewing tax credits online is quick and easy. Customers can log onto GOV.UK to check the progress of their renewal, be reassured that it’s being processed, and know when they will hear … [Read more...]
Scam Advice
A number of people across the UK have fallen victim of HMRC scams such as bogus phone calls, WhatsApp messages, Tax refunds and most recently coronavirus scams.If someone texts, calls or emails claiming to be from HMRC and asks for credit card or bank details it is likely to be a scam. The scams mimic HMRC messages in an effort to look genuine.The most recent scam is via text for a ‘goodwill payment‘ telling customers they can claim a goodwill payment due to the coronavirus. One example … [Read more...]
Summer statement: what you need to know
The Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced measures in the summer statement to help the UK recover from the effects of the coronavirus.Below we have put together a summarised brief of the announcements.Jobs Retention Bonus: If an employer brings back a furloughed employee and keeps them in the job to January, then the Government will pay a £1,000 bonus per employee. Sunak stated, "It's vital people aren't just returning for the sake of it - they need to be doing decent work.”For businesses … [Read more...]
Is PAYE the way forward post Covid-19?
With over 8 million employees in the UK receiving furlough through the CJRS recruitment agencies are seeking alternative options to umbrella but is PAYE the way forward?PAYE V’s UmbrellaMany contractors and agencies get confused by umbrella, umbrella is a form of PAYE where the payroll provider deducts the standard PAYE deductions from the contractors earnings and submits these to the government. The agency provides the contractor with an ‘agency rate’ which is an uplifted rate of pay to … [Read more...]