COVID-19 SUPPORT GRANTS PAID TO COMPANIES MUST BE INCLUDED ON COMPANY TAX RETURNS

/in /by

HMRC has warned that businesses must declare any coronavirus (COVID-19) support grants or payments on their company tax returns and stated that the grants and payments are taxable.

The deadline for filing company tax returns is 12 months after the end of the accounting period.

The deadline to pay corporation tax will depend on any taxable profits and when the end of the accounting period occurs. It is generally nine months after the end of the accounting period unless profits exceed £1.5 million.

Grants to be included as taxable income include:

  • Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate
  • Coronavirus Business Support Grants (also known as local authority grants or business rate grants)
  • Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) grant
  • Eat Out to Help Out payment.

If a company received any of these payments, they will need to do both of the following on their CT600 tax return:

  • include it as income when calculating their taxable profits in line with the relevant accounting standards
  • report it separately on their company tax return using the CJRS and Eat Out to Help Out boxes.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

‘We want to make sure companies are getting their tax returns right, first time, including any COVID-19 support payment declarations. Support and guidance is available on GOV.UK.’

Internet link: HMRC press release  GOV.UK

CLAIMS PORTAL REOPENS FOR STATUTORY SICK PAY REBATE SCHEME

/in /by

HMRC has reopened a claims portal for small employers to again claim refunds for coronavirus (COVID-19)-related sick pay.

The reopening follows the announcement of the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSPRS) from 21 December 2021 for employers with fewer than 250 employees by the government.

The maximum claim per employee is two weeks at the statutory sick pay (SSP) rate of £96.35 per week (£192.70 in total). The employer’s claim is also capped at the number of employees in its PAYE scheme on 30 November 2021.

The claims portal reopened on 19 January 2022 and employers can check the eligibility of their claims on GOV.UK.

HM Treasury and HMRC have not announced an end date for the SSPRS. However, the legislation states that a claim may not be made after the end of 24 March 2022.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) said:

‘There is an inevitable time lag between absence periods and having the information to make a claim (particularly when claims are made by agents). Therefore, there will hopefully be a realistic window between the end date for the SSPRS and the date that the claims portal will close.’

Internet link: GOV.UK

NATIONAL INSURANCE RISE ‘SET TO SQUEEZE BUDGETS’, WARNS CBI

/in /by

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned the government that the planned rise in national insurance will squeeze budgets and affect economic growth.

The rise will see employers, employees and the self-employed pay 1.25p more in the pound from April 2022. From April 2023, the extra tax will be collected as part of the new Health and Social Care Levy.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak recently confirmed the rise, stating that it ‘must go ahead’.

The CBI said that the rise risks ‘curtailing growth at a critical moment in the recovery‘ from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

A spokesperson for the CBI said:

‘If the government goes ahead as planned, then it is incumbent on them to use the March Budget to bring forward more ambitious plans to raise the longer-term growth potential of the economy.’

Internet link: BBC News website