Reminder of who can claim SEISS
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) was extended for a second and final three-month period from 1 June to 31 August 2020. The maximum grant available for the three-months is £6,570 (Previous quarter £7,500) paid in a single instalment. The application process for the SEISS extension will open from 17 August. Claims for the first quarter (1 March – 31 May 2020) closed on 13 July 2020.
The second grant will be open to self-employed individuals or members of a partnership whose business has been adversely affected by Coronavirus on or after 14 July 2020. It is possible for a qualifying self-employed person to claim for the second grant even if they had not claimed for the first grant.
The following points list some of the most important eligibility criteria for the scheme:
- Applicants must be self-employed or a member of a trading partnership, voluntary work, or duties as an armed forces reservist.
- Carry on a trade which has been adversely affected by COVID-19.
- Have filed a tax return for 2018-19.
- Have traded in 2019-20; be currently trading at the point of application (or would be except for COVID-19) and intend to continue to trade in the tax year 2020-21.
- Have trading profits of no more than £50,000 and more than half of total income from self-employment.
- Individuals can continue to work, start a new trade or take on other employment including voluntary work, or duties as an armed forces reservist.
After the schemes launch, the government widened the remit of the SEISS. This allowed parents, including mothers, fathers and those who have adopted, who took time out of trading to care for their children within the first 12 months of birth of the child or within 12 months of an adoption placement, to use either their 2017-18 or both their 2016-17 and 2017-18 Self-Assessment returns as the basis for their eligibility for the SEISS.
