Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) expand the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to include or (b) provide a bespoke support scheme for people who began self-employment in the 2019-20 tax year.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It has not been possible to include those who began trading after the 2018-19 tax year in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). This was a very difficult decision and it was taken for practical reasons.
The Government recognises that those who started trading more recently will not have submitted a tax return for the 2018-19 tax year, and it considered alternative approaches. HMRC would not be able to distinguish genuine self-employed individuals who started trading in 2019-20 from fake applications by fraudulent operators and organised criminal gangs seeking to exploit the SEISS.
However, the self-employed can also benefit from the Government’s relaxation of the earnings rules (known as the Minimum Income Floor) in Universal Credit. They may also have access to a range of grants and loans depending on their circumstances. These include the Bounce Back Loan Scheme for small businesses, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will amend the guidance on the covid-19 job retention scheme to ensure the qualification for that scheme of small businesses that have agreed with HMRC to make annual returns and are not therefore required to make an RTI return.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Employees who are paid annually are eligible for a grant under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme provided they meet the conditions of the scheme. These conditions require that employee to have been notified to HMRC on a real time information (RTI) submission on or before 19 March 2020 which relates to a payment of earnings in the 2019/20 tax year.
The Government has prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible, and the scheme has had to be set up to operate at significant scale and with limited manual intervention. Requiring eligible employees to be notified on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020 allows as many people as possible to be included by going right up to the day before the scheme was announced, while mitigating the risk of fraud.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 4 of the Independent Loan Charge Review: report on the policy and its implementation which states that the law on loan arrangements became clear in 2010, for what reasons the Finance Act 2017 included legislation on those arrangements.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Disguised remuneration (DR) schemes have been used since the 1990s.
The Government announced targeted anti-avoidance legislation to tackle DR schemes in a written ministerial statement in 2010, and introduced it in 2011. This aimed to put beyond doubt that DR schemes are ineffective and to discourage their use.
Despite the Government’s attempts to eliminate the use of these schemes it was clear by Budget 2016 that DR schemes continued to proliferate. That is why the Government announced a package of measures to ensure DR scheme users pay their fair share of tax. These measures, including the Loan Charge, strengthened existing rules and aimed to draw a line under the use of DR tax avoidance schemes. This was legislated for in the Finance (No.2) Act 2017.
HMT officials work closely with colleagues on all tax policy, including on the Government’s response to the use of DR tax avoidance schemes and on the introduction of the Loan Charge in Finance (No.2) Act 2017.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC has taken to hold to account (a) lawyers, (b) accountants and (c) other licensed professionals who provided advice on avoidance schemes covered by the 2019 Loan Charge provisions of the Finance Act 2017.
Answered by Jesse Norman
HMRC vigorously pursue those who promote or enable tax avoidance schemes.
HMRC recently published on GOV.UK a summary of the evidence they provided to Sir Amyas Morse’s Independent Review of the Loan Charge. This includes information on the measures introduced and action taken to tackle promoters and enablers of disguised remuneration and other tax avoidance schemes: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-loan-charge-review-summary-of-evidence/section-8-powers-to-tackle-tax-avoidance
In addition, HMRC published a policy paper in March 2020 laying out their approach to tackling promoters of mass-marketed tax avoidance schemes, and those who facilitate the use of these schemes. This can be found at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-promoters-of-mass-marketed-tax-avoidance-schemes/tackling-promoters-of-mass-marketed-tax-avoidance-schemes
The Government also announced at Budget 2020 two calls for evidence to assist with future initiatives; a forthcoming call for evidence on tackling future use of disguised remuneration, and a call for evidence on raising standards in the tax advice market: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/call-for-evidence-raising-standards-in-the-tax-advice-market.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Sir Amyas Morse's Loan Charge review published in December 2019, what discussions his Department had with HMRC on changing loan charge arrangements prior to the introduction of the 2017 Finance Bill.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Disguised remuneration (DR) schemes have been used since the 1990s.
The Government announced targeted anti-avoidance legislation to tackle DR schemes in a written ministerial statement in 2010, and introduced it in 2011. This aimed to put beyond doubt that DR schemes are ineffective and to discourage their use.
Despite the Government’s attempts to eliminate the use of these schemes it was clear by Budget 2016 that DR schemes continued to proliferate. That is why the Government announced a package of measures to ensure DR scheme users pay their fair share of tax. These measures, including the Loan Charge, strengthened existing rules and aimed to draw a line under the use of DR tax avoidance schemes. This was legislated for in the Finance (No.2) Act 2017.
HMT officials work closely with colleagues on all tax policy, including on the Government’s response to the use of DR tax avoidance schemes and on the introduction of the Loan Charge in Finance (No.2) Act 2017.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
What plans he has to extend the (a) Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and (b) business rates holiday to businesses involved in the retail, hospitality and leisure supply chain during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The COVID-19 crisis has led to a steep decline in customer footfall on our high streets.
That is why the Government has provided funding for over £5 billion of grants for small retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, and over £9.5 billion of funding to provide a 12 month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.
This business rates holiday along with the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund, are designed to support businesses which have been particularly hard hit by the crisis.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will provide specific guidance on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for umbrella employers and employees; and whether employees of umbrella companies can be furloughed.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is open to any employer providing they have: created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020; enrolled for PAYE online; a UK bank account. Employers can claim for employees on any type of employment contract, providing they were employed on 19 March 2020 and were on the employer’s PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020. As well as employees, the grant can be claimed for other groups, such as agency workers employed by umbrella companies, where the workers are paid through PAYE. Full guidance can be found at www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Those not eligible for this scheme may have access to other support Government is providing, including a package of temporary welfare measures and up to three-month mortgage payment holidays for those in difficulty with mortgage payments.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the eligibility cut-off date for the (a) Small Business Grants Fund and (b) Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund to 19 March 2020 to align with the cut-off date for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The two business grants schemes were announced on 11 March and 17 March respectively. 11 March was chosen as the cut-off date to avoid creating an incentive for businesses to be created and registered simply for the purposes of being eligible for grants.
In cases where it was factually clear to the Local Authority on 11 March 2020 that the rating list was inaccurate on that date, Local Authorities may withhold or award the grant based on eligibility had the list been accurate. This discretion is only intended to prevent clear errors. Any decisions made after 11 March should not affect eligibility.
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to provide support for people who are self-employed and who are paid primarily through dividends.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Those who pay themselves a salary through their own company may be eligible to claim for 80% of usual monthly wages, up to £2,500 a month, through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS is available to employers, including personal service companies, and individuals paying themselves a salary through a PAYE scheme are eligible.
The Government’s priority has been to support as many people as it possibly can, and as quickly as possible. Under current reporting mechanisms it is not possible for HM Revenue and Customs to distinguish between dividends derived from an individual’s own company and dividends from other sources, and between dividends in lieu of employment income and as returns from other corporate activity. Expanding the scope would require HMRC to collect and verify new information and any such proposal would need to be considered against the other schemes which the Government is committed to delivering as quickly as possible.
Those who are not eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme may be able to access other support Government is providing, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loans Scheme for small businesses, and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at?www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/
Asked by: Stephen Hammond (Conservative - Wimbledon)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to introduce a London weighting to increase the £50,000 trading profit cap on eligibility for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The new Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will help those adversely affected by COVID-19. Some 95% of people who are mainly self-employed could benefit from this scheme, based on 2017-18 data.
The design of the SEISS, including the £50,000 threshold, means it is targeted at those who need it the most, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income. Those who had more than £50,000 from self-employment profits in 2017-18 had an average total income of more than £200,000.
Those with average trading profits above £50,000 could still benefit from other support. Individuals may have access to a range of grants and loans depending on their circumstances, including the Bounce Back Loans Scheme for small businesses, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the deferral of tax payments.