Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of enabling tax (a) advisors and (b) agents to complete Self-Employment Income Support Scheme applications on behalf of their clients.

The claims process for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme is easy and straightforward. HMRC are doing all of the calculations, and taxpayers will only need their National Insurance number, Unique Tax Reference (UTR) number, online log-in details, and bank account details to apply for the grant.

Accountants, tax agents or advisers cannot make claims on behalf of their clients. Designing a scheme that enabled agents to do this would have taken significantly longer to deliver, at a time when speed is a priority.

Accountants, tax agents and advisers can help their clients by ensuring clients are aware they may be eligible; helping clients to find the details they need; using the online eligibility checker on their clients’ behalf (or supporting them to use the checker themselves); and explaining why they may or may not be eligible, and what other support is available to them.