HMRC Publishes Guidance On The Fifth SEISS Grant

The fifth SEISS grant will open to self-employed claimants at the end of July. After emailing general information about the grant at the start of July, if you're eligible, HMRC should contact you in the next couple of weeks with your personal claim date ...

However, you should be aware that the eligibility of this grant is different from the previous four, as it now includes a new turnover test to determine the level of the grant. You'll get either 30% or 80%, depending on the results of the test.

"So, you could get 80% of three months' average trading profits again!"

But only if your turnover has reduced by 30% or more. If the reduction is less than 30%, you will get a grant based on 30% of three months' average trading profits instead, capped at £2,850.

Of course, before you take the test, HMRC has to believe your eligible in the first place, which is why they'll email you soon. If you were eligible for the previous grants, then you'll probably be eligible for this one too if you:

- have submitted your 2019/20 self-assessment tax return before the 2nd of March 2021
- you've traded in 2019/20 and 2020/21
- are currently trading, but are still impacted by reduced demand because of coronavirus, or have been trading, but are still unable to do so because of the pandemic
- you intend to continue trading
- and reasonably believe there will be a significant reduction in your trading profits in the period from the 1st of May 2021 to the 30th of September 2021

Also, your trading profit must be no more than £50,000. It must be at least half of your total income:

- for the tax year 2019/20
- or the average of the tax years 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20

This criteria remains the same as the fourth grant.

The turnover test will be the stumbling block for many expecting a significant payment. A claimant needs to provide two total turnover figures during the claims process.

You should look these up from your tax returns before starting the claim, and remember, HMRC already know these numbers, so there's no point in stretching the truth as they'll be checked when they process your claim.

HMRC will email you soon if they think you're eligible to claim the fifth SEISS grant and will explain what turnover numbers they will need from you to make your claim.

If you feel inspired to find out more about anything I've said here, do call me on 01908 774320 or leave a comment below and I'll be in touch as soon as I can.