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The Scottish Wedding Industry Fund could give you up to £25,000

Scottish Wedding Industry Fund

27 January 2021, Artists, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Get up to £25,000 for Scottish Wedding Industry The new Scottish Wedding Industry Fund opens for applications on 28 January 2021.  If your business gets most of its income from weddings you could qualify for a grant of up to £25,000. The fund is available to jewellers, pipers and wedding bands as well as caterers […]

Self Assessment Tax Filing Deadline Extended to 28 Feb 2021

Self Assessment Tax Filing Deadline Extended to 28 Feb – please pass this on!

25 January 2021, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

At (almost) the eleventh hour, HMRC announces tax filing deadline extended to 28 February HMRC announced today that you will not receive a penalty for filing your 2019-20 tax return late, as long as you file online by 28‌ February.  We are still encouraging taxpayers who have not yet filed to do so by 31‌ […]

Need extra time to pay your tax bill?

Need extra time to pay your tax bill due in January 2021?

22 January 2021, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Sole Traders

Strapped for cash and worried about your tax? If you are one of the many self-employed who need extra time to pay your income tax bill at the end of the month, HMRC have an online process to help you spread your payment.  With just over a week to go until the filing deadline for […]

set up a manual VAT payment if you have VAT owing from 2020

How to set up a manual VAT payment

10 February 2021, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, General, Sole Traders

Deferred VAT payment due to Coronavirus On 24th September 2020 the UK Chancellor announced that businesses who deferred VAT due from 20 March to 30 June 2020 had more time to pay VAT from this period.  The same guidance still stands though.  If you chose to defer your VAT payment as a result of coronavirus, […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

SEISS third grant

30 November 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

SEISS third grant open for claims. The rules on who is eligible to claim are different to those for the previous SEISS grants.  The third grant will be based on 80% of three months’ average trading profits, paid out in a single taxable instalment capped at £7,500, and will cover the period from 1 November […]

Bounce Back Loan - a Bright Idea

Bounce Back Loan Extended

5 November 2020, Advocates, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Sole Traders

When is the Bounce Back Loan Deadline? The Bounce Bank Loan deadline for applications was originally scheduled for 4th November 2020 and then extended slightly to 30th November 2020.  The announcement by Rishi Sunak on 2nd November on the Bounce Back Loan extended deadlines for applications to 31st January 2021.  The Bounce Back Loan Scheme […]

Received a Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant and stopped trading?

Received a Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant and stopped trading?

30 October 2020, Advocates, Artists, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Received an SEISS grant?  Check your inbox to avoid a penalty. HMRC is contacting businesses which claimed a grant under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to check whether they have stopped trading.  What do you need to do? How do I know an email from HMRC isn’t spam or phishing? HMRC do not normally email […]

Furlough Scheme Extended

Furlough Scheme Extended

1 November 2020, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, General, Sole Traders

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme Extended to end of March 2020 The furlough scheme, where the UK Government pays part of the salary costs of furloughed employees, was first extended to the end of November 2020.  Then in an announcement on 5 November 2020 the scheme was extended further until the end of March 2021. Furlough […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

SEISS extended to April 2021

6 November 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Payment no 3 in December for SEISS extended to April. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has been extended to April 2021.  If you are self-employed and were eligible for the first and second SEISS grants you will be able to claim grants for the 6 month period from November 2020 to April 2021. What […]

More time to pay VAT

More time to pay VAT

25 September 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, General, Sole Traders

Rishi Sunak has given you more time to pay VAT On 24th September 2020 the UK Chancellor announced that businesses who deferred VAT due from 20 March to 30 June 2020 will now have more time to pay VAT from this period.  The original deadline for this VAT was 31st March 2021. Instead of paying […]

Bounce Back Loan - a Bright Idea

Bounce Back Loan Deadline for Applications

25 September 2020, Advocates, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Sole Traders

When is the Bounce Back Loan Deadline? The Bounce Bank Loan deadline for applications was originally scheduled for 4th November 2020.  On 24th September Rishi Sunak announced that the deadline for applications would be extended to 30th November 2020.  The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) will help eligible small and medium-sized businesses affected by the […]

Overclaimed Furlough Funding needs to be repaid to HMRC

Overclaimed Furlough Funding

11 September 2020, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, General

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme According to Jim Harra, the First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive of HMRC, there is more than £3.5bn of overclaimed furlough funding.  He estimates that claims in error or fraudulent claims may total up to 10% of cases.  HMRC is clamping down hard and looking at 27,000 active cases. In July […]

Claim to reduce payments on account

Claim to reduce payments on account

4 September 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, General, Musicians, Sole Traders

Reduce your income tax payments on account to HMRC You can reduce payments on account to HMRC if you expect your profits to be lower in the year to 5th April 2021.  Most sole traders will find that their taxable profits will be lower this year due to the effects of the COVID emergency.  If […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

SEISS phase 2

17 August 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Check if you can claim the SEISS phase 2 grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS phase 2) is now open for the self-employed to receive a second and final grant of up to £6,570.  The HMRC website went live on 17th August 2020 to allow you to claim […]

How to set up your VAT Direct Debit

How to set up a VAT Direct Debit

19 June 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, General, Sole Traders

No more extra time to pay your VAT As part of the government’s support for businesses during COVID-19, HMRC gave businesses the option of deferring their VAT payments and cancelling VAT Direct Debit instructions if they were unable to pay on time.  This allows VAT to be deferred without incurring late payment interest or penalties.  […]

Check your SEISS eligibility

Check your SEISS eligibility

13 May 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is now open for the self-employed to receive a grant of up to £7,500.  The HMRC website to check your SEISS eligibility has been set up.  Find out what you need to do to allow HMRC […]

Claim Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant

Claim Self-employment Income Support Scheme Grant

4 May 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Get up to £7,500 from the government if you are self-employed Find out if you are eligible to Claim Self-employment Income Support Scheme Grant of up to £7,500.  Details of the Self-employment Income Support Scheme have now been published to support the self-employed or members of a partnership with trading income.  You will need to […]

Bounce Back Loan - a Bright Idea

Bounce Back Loan

29 April 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer

Where CBILS fails, smaller companies can get a Bounce Back Loan The Bounce Back Loan scheme will help small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000.  The government will guarantee 100% of the loan and there won’t be any fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months. Loan terms will be […]

COVID-19 small business grants in Scotland

Free webinar for COVID-19 Business Support

28 April 2020, Advocates, Artists, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders

COVID-19 Business Support webinar from Collabor8te Collabor8te is a coworking space in the heart of Glasgow.  Although the building is closed at the moment, they are still supporting the business community in Glasgow and across Scotland.  Collabor8te are putting on a free webinar to provide some answers on the COVID-19 business support measures that have […]

furlough funding

How to claim furlough funding from HMRC

8 April 2020, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer

HMRC is working on furlough website Many business owners are waiting for details of how to claim furlough funding from HMRC.  Details of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) are gradually being released by HMRC. How do I claim my furlough funding? HMRC will pay funding claims within 6 working days of an online application.  […]

CBILS Forecast

CBILS Forecast

4 April 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer

Why you need a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme / CBILS Forecast. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) provides financial support to smaller businesses (SMEs) across the UK.  The businesses under consideration are those that are losing revenue and seeing their cash flow disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.  The scheme is […]

How to set up your VAT Direct Debit

Deferred VAT payment and how to cancel your Direct Debit

3 April 2020, Advocates, Barristers, Companies, Creative Industries, General, Sole Traders

Extra time to pay your VAT On 20th March 2020 the UK Chancellor announced support to businesses in the form of a deferred VAT payment scheme.  This helps VAT registered businesses with their cash flow during the COVID-19 pandemic.  All VAT registered businesses can defer VAT payments.  If you currently pay by Direct Debit, you […]

Creative Scotland Bursary

Creative Scotland Bursary Funds

30 March 2020, Artists, Creative Industries, Musicians

Creative Scotland COVID-19 Impact Funds Creative Scotland bursary funds are are available on three separate funding programmes.  The grants are designed to provide support to sustain Scotland’s creative community during the COVID-19 outbreak.  The Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland Bridging Bursaries will aim to support those most in need at this time, particularly those who […]

Claim Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund

Claim Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund Grant of £2,000

30 April 2020, Advocates, Artists, Creative Industries, General, Musicians, Sole Traders

Grants for newly self-employed Applications for this grant opened on the afternoon of Thursday 30th April.  Grants are administered by the local authority in which you live.  To claim newly self-employed hardship fund cash, refer to your own local authority website. Claim Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund Cash You need to apply in your Local Authority […]

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

27 March 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, Musicians, Sole Traders

Government grant to freelancers Details of the Self-employment Income Support Scheme have now been released to support the self-employed or members of a partnership with trading income. Who can apply for the Self-employment Income Support Scheme? You can apply if you’re a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership and you: have submitted your […]

COVID-19 small business grants in Scotland

COVID-19 small business grants in Scotland

26 March 2020, Artists, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Musicians, Sole Traders

Grants for business Each local authority will be processing COVID-19 small business grants in Scotland.  Applications must be made to the local authority where you are liable for non-domestic rates. How to claim COVID-19 small business grants in Scotland There are two types of grant available to ratepayers: £10,000 grant to ratepayers of businesses in […]

extend your accounts filing deadline

Extend your accounts filing deadline

26 March 2020, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries

Company Accounts If your company accounts can’t be prepared in time due to the COVID-19 emergency you can apply to extend your accounts filing deadline by 3 months. How to extend your accounts filing deadline Company accounts for a private limited company are normally due for filing 9 months after the year end date.  If […]

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme update

27 March 2020, Charities, Companies, Creative Industries, Employer, Sole Traders

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme All UK employers will be able to access support for furloughed workers who would otherwise be laid off during the COVID-19 emergency.  Details have now been released.  An online portal will be made available to claim funding from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which will backdate funding to 1st March 2020. […]

no income tax payment due in July 2020

No income tax payments due in July

20 March 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, General, Musicians, Sole Traders

Payments on account cancelled in July The UK Government announced on 20th March that there would be no income tax payments due in July 2020 for the self-employed. Payments on Account Personal tax returns must be filed by 31st January following the end of the tax year. For the tax year ended 5th April 2019 […]

Claim Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund

Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund

24 April 2020, Advocates, Artists, Barristers, Creative Industries, General, Musicians, Sole Traders

Grants for newly self-employed The Scottish Government has announced a £34 million Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund.  The fund will be managed by Local Authorities to allocate grants of £2,000 to the newly self-employed facing hardship.  The self-employed who started trading after 5th April 2019 are excluded from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.  The Scottish Government […]

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