Category Archives: Coronavirus

Evaluating the Job Support Scheme

As part of the government’s efforts to support the economy during the coronavirus lockdown, the chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new job support scheme. It has received much positive press coverage, but Barry Fine, a director of Alexander Bursk, remains unimpressed. How effective will the new Job Support scheme be at  stopping  redundancies ? Not Very. Why not? It requires employers to pay their employees at a rate of… Read Article →

Guidance for the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ Scheme

The HMRC has now issued detailed guidance on how the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme will operate, including the accounting treatment for VAT. The ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme was introduced at the beginning of August and will be place for the whole month, allowing diners to eat out for half price on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It is an attempt by the government to help support the restaurant and… Read Article →

Directors, Dividends and Bounce Back Loans

Will directors who also own shares in their firms have to pay higher national Insurance contributions (NIC) when we emerge from lockdown? Perhaps. Many directors take a small wage of £720 per month with a dividend from the company’s profits, to top it up. This has long been considered one of the most tax-efficient ways of rewarding director shareholders. Could this cause a problem with the government’s furlough scheme? In… Read Article →

Extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

Last month, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, announced an extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS enables employers to furlough employees, so that the government pays 80% of their wages. You can find information about the original CJRS here. To help our clients, we’ve provided a summary of the two major changes to the CJRS: From July 1st the scheme will be more flexible. Since the scheme was… Read Article →

Grant Funding Schemes Available for Small Businesses

Local authorities are now making business rate support grant payments, to help businesses during the coronavirus crisis. The grants are comprised of two schemes: Scheme 1 is the Business Supports Grants Fund, where businesses can apply for up to £10,000. Scheme 2 is the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grants Fund. This allows funding of up to £10,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property of a rateable value… Read Article →

Guidance for Landlords and Tenants During the Coronavirus Crisis

New guidance has been issued by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. “Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Landlords and Tenants” details guidance on notices seeking possession, court action on possession cases and property access and health and safety obligations. Please read through the guide carefully: