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...]
Has your provider protected your contractors from the CJRS clawbacks?
Following the Chancellors first announcement around the economic support packages, the cost is now at an estimate of £132.5bn.The CJRS was set up as a new wage support measure in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to protect jobs in wake of the impact to the economy caused by the virus and to support employers who had difficulties continuing to pay wages to prevent redundancies being made.So what is the clawback?The government are now looking to recover funds claimed in error or … [Read more...]
EU Settlement scheme update – 1-year left to apply
The 30th June 2020 marked the 1-year countdown for the EU settlement scheme application deadline. Already 3.6 million applications have been submitted and more than 3.3 million applications have been granted.EEA citizens and their family members who have been granted pre-settlement or settled status have secured their rights in UK Law, ensuring that they will have the evidence they need to continue living and working in the UK.The lastest detailed official Statistics show that the … [Read more...]
Returning NHS workers targeted by tax avoidance promoters
Individuals who are returning to the National Health Service (NHS) to help to respond to the outbreak of COVID-19 have been targeted by immoral promoters of tax avoidance schemes. HMRC is advising affected individuals to be wary of signing up to these schemes.The schemes on offer all have common features, but they may be described in different ways. One consistent element will be that the scheme attempts to disguise the true level of earnings, which should be subject to Income Tax and … [Read more...]
EU Settlement Scheme Applications: Important Message About COVID-19
The EU Settlement Scheme continues to perform well and more than 3 million have already been granted status with more than a year left to go until the deadline for applications.While applications continue to be processed, during this challenging time they will take longer than usual. In addition, in line with the latest Public Health England advice some of our support services and application routes have temporarily changed. Please find an outline of these changes below. This situation is … [Read more...]
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has spoken, support for self-employed is now confirmed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out plans for 80% wage subsidies for staff kept on by employers last week and the PM said he wants similar protection for freelancers. However, he stated there was “particular difficulties" for freelancers who are not on Pay As You Earn (PAYE) schemes, but that he wanted to achieve "parity of support" across the workforce.With 5.2 million self-employed workers in the UK, it was only a matter of time before the chancellor put a plan in place to support the self – … [Read more...]
Tax helpline to support businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)
HMRC has a set up a phone helpline to support businesses and self-employed people concerned about not being able to pay their tax due to coronavirus (COVID-19).The helpline allows any business or self-employed individual who is concerned about paying their tax due to coronavirus to get practical help and advice. Up to 2,000 experienced call handlers are available to support businesses and individuals when needed.For those who are unable to pay due to coronavirus, HMRC will discuss your … [Read more...]
What do you look for when you review your PSL?
Many agencies follow compliance processes they have internally to review the PSL of umbrella companies. However, do you really know what your workers are being charged and understand the payslip and calculations behind the figures?With the key information document, being issued to contractors from April 2020 by recruitment agencies now would be the time to check what is actually being deducted.We review payslips from competitors on a regular basis from contractors who are not happy with … [Read more...]