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Age diversity

With the ongoing war for high-performing talent, diversity has become a strategic business priority. Large corporations are making efforts to have more diverse management boards and more businesses are engaging in gender pay gap reporting. However, creating a diverse workforce is about more than gender, race or socio-economic inclusion (although these areas are, of course, very important). Creating a truly diverse workforce also means making an effort to encourage age diversity in recruitment an...

Future Fund

The Government had announced a £500m “Future Fund” to provide UK-based Innovative Companies with between £125,000 and £5m from the government if the cash is at least matched by private investors. The loans will convert to equity stakes — valued at a discount — if not repaid. This scheme will issue convertible loans between £125,000 to £5 million to innovative companies which are facing financing difficulties due to the Pandemic. The scheme will be delivered in partnership wi...

What does your brand stand for?

Your brand is more than just a logo and an eye-catching colour scheme. Your brand is all about the core values of your firm. Today’s marketplace is crowded and customers are more resistant to advertising and typical promotional activity. Customers are becoming more discerning and they are turning to brands that share their core values. Most businesses will talk up their core values and may claim that this is what sets them apart. However, for the most part, the core values of many firms are pr...

Zoom video conferencing

Zoom was launched in 2011 as an online video conferencing service designed to make video calls smoother and more reliable. Whether you are self employed and just need to check in with a client occasionally, or you want to hold an online meeting with 50 people, Zoom offers a stable, reliable service. Zoom is available in four different versions - Basic, Pro, Business and Enterprise. Basic is available for free and allows users to host video conferences with up to 100 participants for up to 40 mi...

HELP TO CLAIM – CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME (CJRS)

HMRC have issued an important update about changes to the CJRS including changes regarding employee eligibility. They state:       “you can claim for employees that were employed as of 19 March 2020 and were on your PAYE payroll on or before that date; this means that you will have made an RTI submission notifying us of payment of that employee on or before 19 March 2020employees that were employed as of 28 February 2020 and on payroll (i.e. notified to us on an ...

Covid- 19 Latest News

Welcome to our special newswire. In this edition we focus on the measures announced by the Government to support businesses and individuals during the Covid-19 crisis. Please contact us if you wish to discuss any matters in this newsletter....

Support for nursery businesses that pay business rates

The Government is introducing a business rates holiday for nurseries in England for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Nurseries are eligible for the business rates holiday if: The business is based in England Properties that will benefit from the relief will be: occupied by providers on Ofsted’s Early Years Registerwholly or mainly used for the provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage...

HOW TO CLAIM FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES' WAGES THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME (CJRS)

The Government recently provided more details on how the CJRS works. Please note the online service you will use to claim is not open yet – we will let you know when it is. We have the capability to calculate and submit your CJRS Claim so please let us know if we can help. We expect this to open in 20th April 2020....

Introducing Fludily

Prior to the current circumstances, we started working with Fluidly, an industry-leading cashflow tool, which you can use to build a 90 day cashflow forecast free of charge. We had planned on staging a more formal roll out, however given current circumstances, we’ve made the decision to give all of our clients access to now.  What is Fluidly?Fluidly’s mission is to help small businesses sleep better at night by automatically generating a 90-day cashflow forecast, which you can also edit...

Chancellor Strengthens Support On Offer For Business As First Government-Backed Loans Reach Firms In Need

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-strengthens-support-on-offer-for-business-as-first-government-backed-loans-reach-firms-in-need?utm_source=0bbd6ff0-70a1-4d7a-84cf-664a8d4e5929&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate HM Treasury has announced the Chancellor Rishi Sunak is taking further action to support firms affected by the coronavirus crisis by bolstering business interruption loans for small businesses and announcing a new scheme for larger co...

BUSINESS RATES RELIEF AND RELATED GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

Business Secretary Alok Sharma gave the 1 April 2020 daily press briefing on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He commented: “From today businesses will start benefiting from £22 billion in the form of business rates relief. And grants of up to £25,000 which are being paid into the bank accounts of the smallest high street firms. On Saturday, I said that we had provided funds to councils in England for grants to small businesses. As of today, these local...

Business News

Please find attached a series of Government updates for release to your clients and further guidance on the main Government supports. Please edit and use for your clients and prospects....

Government Relaxation Of Financial Solvency Rules

The government plans to introduce emergency changes to overhaul insolvency laws and give “breathing space” to companies hit by the coronavirus crisis, Alok Sharma, the business secretary has announced, in a move to help prevent mass failures. Laws that make it illegal for a business to trade when it is insolvent are set to be suspended. The decision means companies and individuals that cannot meet their debts because of the coronavirus pandemic will not be forced to file for insolvency....

Universal Credit / Benefits Calculator post

Many people will need to consider Government Benefits because of the Pandemic, some for the first time and they may ask you about guidance on claiming and amounts. If it’s not your area of expertise, then refer them to the Government website and to the guidance notes in the Resource Centre. Below is guidance to direct them to an independent Benefits Calculator....

GRANTS UNDER THE SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME SUPPORT SCHEME (CSEISS)

Written 30 March 2020 Note: Please see the ‘Self-Employment Income Support Calculator’ to check eligibility and calculate the amount of grant available. (see below) On 26 March 2020 the Chancellor announced a new grant scheme available to the self-employed and members of partnerships and have lost income due to coronavirus. This factsheet is based on the limited details announced by HMRC as at 30 March 2020.Broadly the new scheme will allow self-employed taxpayer to claim a ta...

JOB RETENTION SCHEME Frequently Asked Questions

(Based on information available as at 29 March 2020)Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers with a PAYE scheme will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis.This applies to employees who have been asked to stop working, but who are being kept on the pay roll, otherwise known as ‘furloughed workers’. HMRC will reimburse 80% of their wages, up to £2,500 per month. Th...

UNIVERSAL CREDIT (UC) FACT SHEET

We do not advise on universal credit. However, for information, we have provided some guidance on universal credit and it may in some circumstances apply to your situation in the current circumstances. Please click the link below to download the factsheet.The guidance is 27 pages long......

GUIDANCE ON BUSINESS SUPPORT GRANT FUNDING – LATEST GOVERNMENT PAPER

Please Guidance for local authorities setting out details of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). Change made Version 3 published with updates on State Aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, new annexes on state aid, spotlight, and post payment checks, clarification of eligibility of charities. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding?utm_source=cb532f53-...

Tax E News - March 2020

On Friday 20th March the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, set out a package of measures to support public services, people and business through the disruption caused by the COVID-19 virus.  Further measures were announced on 26 March to support the self-employed....

Update - Government Support For Business

On Friday 20th the Chancellor set out a package of measures to support public services, people and businesses through the period of disruption caused by COVID-19. The package of measures to support businesses includes:Coronavirus Job Retention SchemeDeferring VAT and Income Tax paymentsA Statutory Sick Pay relief package for SMEsA 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in EnglandSmall business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in rec...

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Landlords and Tenants

A number of clients have buy-to-let properties and the government issues guidance on this on Saturday.In can be summarised as follows.Landlords cannot take enforcement action against tenants until at least 30th September 2020.Tenants should continue to pay rent as the government has put in a number of financial support schemes in place to help them do so. Those that cannot, should discuss with their landlords.Tenants may be able to access further support through the housing benefit scheme throug...

CORONAVIRUS SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME SUPPORT SCHEME (CSEISS) – UPDATE FOR CLIENTS

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced measures to support the self-employed and partnerships. The scheme is called the Coronavirus Self-employment Income Support Scheme (CSEISS). If you have suffered a loss in income, a taxable grant will be paid to the self-employed or partnerships, worth 80% of profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month. Initially, this will be available for three months in one lump-sum payment and will start to be paid from the beginning of June. You cannot a...

Additional Resources

I have pulled together some additional resources for clients which you may feel useful.We have updated the 6 month cashflow to wrok within excel....

Furlough Letters Guidance

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN EXAMPLE ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON UNTIL YOU HAVE CONFIRMED CONTENTS WITH YOUR LAWYERS AND / OR HR SPECIALISTSPlease also see Knights PLC interpretations....

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CRJS)

PLEASE NOTE: NOTE THIS GUIDANCE IS STILL INCOMPLETE AND THE GOVERNMENT NEED TO ISSUE FURTHER BRIEFING NOTES ON THE DETAIL....