Who's taking the second SEISS grant?

[Part Timer]

I am wondering if I can apply. It’s a bit unclear to what extent. I’ve lost about 6 customers and two today whom are ending. Did not say but it’s deffo covid related. I only clean outside on the factory I clean for, plus I was not walking through houses only fronts on some. I’ve not been able to build like hoped and planned either. I’m down money wise a bit but long ok. Everyone I speak to is applying for it but saying busy, something just not sitting right with me in regards am I eligible and feeling clear about it. 
I do fear if it gets worse when furlough stops and I’m starting to get customers saying they can not have the cleaning.  

If anyone has messaged you mentioning canceling due to Covid then strictly speaking you're entitled. Just keep the message as proof, also if you do don't spend the money just incase they want it back.

 

[ched999uk]

If you start to apply it does explain, a little, the criteria for being eligible. I believe the bottom line is have you earned less due to Covid since 14th July. If you have (and you can prove it - my interpretation) then just try and apply and read what you are agreeing to if you honestly answer the questions then claim. It doesn't mention if the less earnings are £1 or £10000. Remember if they audit you can you prove your income reduced or your costs increased?

 

[dmw]

I am wondering if I can apply. It’s a bit unclear to what extent. I’ve lost about 6 customers and two today whom are ending. Did not say but it’s deffo covid related. I only clean outside on the factory I clean for, plus I was not walking through houses only fronts on some. I’ve not been able to build like hoped and planned either. I’m down money wise a bit but long ok. Everyone I speak to is applying for it but saying busy, something just not sitting right with me in regards am I eligible and feeling clear about it. 
I do fear if it gets worse when furlough stops and I’m starting to get customers saying they can not have the cleaning.  

If your takings are down with covid I suppose you can take the money, ( mine are) and things could get a lot worse next year.

I've got a pub in Oldham to clean today and it could be the last time if local lockdown comes in so that will add on to my £100 p.m. loss and is a direct result of covid.

I'll decide before the deadline but I'm erring on claiming it.

 

[P4dstar]

I need an apology...I did not post anything about electric garage doors!!!! was another members post as to what he was going to use the grant for I believe.

Bet you want one though ???

 

[P4dstar]

If you start to apply it does explain, a little, the criteria for being eligible. I believe the bottom line is have you earned less due to Covid since 14th July. If you have (and you can prove it - my interpretation) then just try and apply and read what you are agreeing to if you honestly answer the questions then claim. It doesn't mention if the less earnings are £1 or £10000. Remember if they audit you can you prove your income reduced or your costs increased?

Adversely affected doesn't literally translate to "earned less". I lost my commercial customers for months, some of them only started back recently, a couple of out of town shops I do have just cancelled after coming back on line because head office told them to cut their costs. A jewellers I did until the beginning of March still do their own windows because head office said to. Even factoring in all of this my income has increased month on month. I would still say I have been "Adversely affected".

Looking at this from an outside perspective, I have no horse in this race. I'm not entitled to the grant as I spent loads upgrading equipment. On average I made a loss over the 2 returns they could look at. My accountant believed they would see the loss in the start up year as zero instead of negative and encouraged me to appeal, they sent me a letter explaining they take the negative into account also.

 

[mike007]

Bet you want one though ???

Got a carport....that.s what infuriated me.

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

I suppose it's up to each individual to decide. But the criteria is if your income is down or your costs up you are entitled. It doesn't say how much your income has to be down. Also, have your costs gone up because of Covid? Have you had to buy PPE, have you had to advertise to replace lost work? 

 

[cleaniac]

Whatever you decide, you really need to go over exactly what work you have lost, what customers you have lost, and work out a specific value on the loss, record it and log it with your accountant. 

Don't get me wrong, I am sure the grant is that, a grant. But HMRC, I wouldn't trust them as far as i could throw a feather. I guarantee they will be looking retrospectively over the next 5 years on all claimants and anyone they can bully by accusing them of applying for grants they were not entitled to, without the figures to prove it they will be looking to claim it back, plus interest and late fees. Trust me on this they are *****.

It's the same with the employee retention scheme, both me and the wife are on PAYE, we each take a good salary and pay tax on that out of the business, and we prefer not to go down the dividend route for wages, and only declare dividends up to our dividend free allowance (£2000) at the end of the year after working out use of home allowances etc through the DL account which is essentially just a balance sheet exercise. Completely fine to do.

Since the kids have been off school, debs has been unable to help with work at all, so she has been getting the corona virus retention scheme, I have had to put every decision in writing, record every loss of business, every cancelled customer, and run projections for the year and log it all with the accountants. This is to show due diligence, and log an actual justification for the claim should HMRC do retrospective investigations on all claimants. 

It's very important you keep this to hand, and you can give them the info they need the minute they ask for it.

Also remember that just because you lost work due to COVID, and have been able to replace it with new work, it's still a loss and your still behind that much more than you would have been should COVID had not happened. 

 

[Markyboy 50]

I spoke to an accountant last night( not my own one). I explained that I was down about £150 per month. He said that’s £450 over 3 months. And if I claimed it would be between £2/3 k which would put me on a positive. He said it’s up to me but he wouldn’t claim with my figures. 

 

[Pjj]

I spoke to an accountant last night( not my own one). I explained that I was down about £150 per month. He said that’s £450 over 3 months. And if I claimed it would be between £2/3 k which would put me on a positive. He said it’s up to me but he wouldn’t claim with my figures. 

As many have said the question just askes  have you been adversely affected doesn’t ask how much , if you have been affected then you are entitled  to claim , I don’t  think much of his advice as an accountant. 

 

[wezza13]

It's a grant, take it if you've been adversely affected. You're entitled to it if you've been affected. You'll be paying for everybody elses via an increase in NI contributions anyway.

 Most of my commercial stuff is still on hold, so I applied for it. 

 

[Markyboy 50]

As many have said the question just askes  have you been adversely affected doesn’t ask how much , if you have been affected then you are untitled to claim , I don’t  think much of his advice as an accountant. 

Yeah. I did say he weren’t my accountant. He also did add that it could be opening a can of worms. Do people really want the expense of an investigation?  Just saying what he said. Not necessarily my opinions. 

 

[Iron Giant]

Yeah. I did say he weren’t my accountant. He also did add that it could be opening a can of worms. Do people really want the expense of an investigation?  Just saying what he said. Not necessarily my opinions. 

Agreed, why claim 6k upwards this time and be in for an investigation it's not just the financial cost they will have your life for weeks on end HMRC  will turn peoples lives upside down to claw there money back and it will be SME's who they will be gunning for not the big boy's 

 

[Dave B]

if you can prove you have been adversely effected you can claim.

You can't then be penalised for doing what they said to do.

Even if I showed them 1 job on hold I've then proved it to their specifications so nothing to worry about. 

 

[Pjj]

Yeah. I did say he weren’t my accountant. He also did add that it could be opening a can of worms. Do people really want the expense of an investigation?  Just saying what he said. Not necessarily my opinions. 

Unless you are being totally dishonest there will be no investigation , if you have had commercial work on hold due to covid or had customers cancel due to being made redundant due to covid the advice is clear you can claim , that’s the law . 

 

[RyeCleanLiam]

I read an article online by Martin Lewis. An expert in law said the Gov left it wide open for interpretation by saying adversely affected with no specifics by how much. He said HMRC would find it nigh on impossible to claim money back from someone even if they only lost one job of £10 and could prove it, he said the law would be on the claimants side. 

I'm also not sure HMRC would have the time nor the resources to go investigating all the thousands who will claim. Not saying it's impossible, just highly unlikely. I think it will be easier for them to just try and raise it back by increasing taxes.

 

[Part Timer]

It's a grant, take it if you've been adversely affected. You're entitled to it if you've been affected. You'll be paying for everybody elses via an increase in NI contributions anyway.

 Most of my commercial stuff is still on hold, so I applied for it. 

I've actually got 3 emails from my commercial customers stating that jobs have been delayed, put on hold or frequency changed, due to the current situation.

I've  never been unemployed for 40 years and paid into the system for all this time so if there's any chance of money coming the other way I'm going for it. 

 

[dazmond]

just claim it if you ve lost money,why not?dont look a gift horse in the mouth......im over £2k up on this time last year so ive not claimed for either (despite losing a couple of jobs)...ive picked up around 15 new jobs without even trying over the last 4 months and ive not been affected at all.....happy days.....

 

[wezza13]

I've actually got 3 emails from my commercial customers stating that jobs have been delayed, put on hold or frequency changed, due to the current situation.

I've  never been unemployed for 40 years and paid into the system for all this time so if there's any chance of money coming the other way I'm going for it. 

Totally agree. It’s a grant that we’re all (well, most of us) entitled to as we’ve been adversely affected. Never mind what we have on hold now - what about what’s to come in the next few months. I, personally, think that a lot more of our customers will suspend their window cleaning indefinitely within the next few months due to redundancies, etc. Then again, I’ve never been more busy and signed up loads of new customers during this pandemic. 

 

[Adman]

I read an article online by Martin Lewis. An expert in law said the Gov left it wide open for interpretation by saying adversely affected with no specifics by how much. He said HMRC would find it nigh on impossible to claim money back from someone even if they only lost one job of £10 and could prove it, he said the law would be on the claimants side. 

I'm also not sure HMRC would have the time nor the resources to go investigating all the thousands who will claim. Not saying it's impossible, just highly unlikely. I think it will be easier for them to just try and raise it back by increasing taxes.

Agreed.  the govt support is there to pump cash into the economy to stop it collapsing. Quantitive easing for the people. Much better idea, looking forward to future covids ???

 

[Iron Giant]

Read a news article this morning about furlough businesses that had payouts but may have claimed too much will be getting letters from HMRC and have 90 days to pay back the over payment if they have claimed too much, this could well be the case for the grant

“We will not seek out innocent errors and small mistakes for compliance action. We will act, however, against anyone who deliberately sets out to defraud the system or claims money they aren’t entitled to.”