14th May 2020
HMRC have now begun contacting individuals inviting them to register for the SEISS grant. However, there are a lot of cases to deal with, which means many individuals may receive their instructions to claim this grant later than first anticipated.
Below are the steps that you can take as of now to speed up the claim. If you believe you are eligible but have not yet heard from HMRC these steps will also apply to you.
Eligibility Checker
The first step that needs to be taken is to complete the eligibility checker. The checker may be found on the link below:
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/self-employment-support/enter-unique-taxpayer-reference
To use this checker you will need your ten digit Unique Taxpayer Reference Number (UTR). This may be found on the front of your Tax Return or any correspondence received from HMRC.
You will also need to provide details of your self-employed profits for the last tax three years, plus sources of other taxable income. This should be found on your Tax Returns for the last three years. Please let us know if you need any assistance in obtaining these totals.
The eligibility check, is something we as agents can do on your behalf. So if you find you need any assistance with this please let us know.
There have been reports of HMRC’s eligibility checker rejecting valid claims. If you believe this has happened to you please let us know and we can request to get your eligibility check reviewed.
Register a Claim
If after going through the above process you are deemed to be eligible for the SEISS grant, you will then need to register a claim with HMRC. To do this you will need a government gateway account or personal tax account (HMRC do not allow agents to make the SEISS claims on clients behalf). Do not worry if you do not have an account yet, HMRC advised us that this can be set up online and should only take approximately 15 minutes.
To set up an account, please use the below web link:
https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account/sign-in/create-account
You will need your National Insurance Number (which can be found on a payslip, P60 or the front of your Tax Return), plus either a recent payslip or a UK passport to set this up. If this applies, you can click on the first green tab.
If you do not have this information, you will need to be verified, which takes slightly longer. In this case you will need your address, plus either a valid passport or a photo ID driving license. It will take longer to verify you and so you will need to click on the second green tab.
When are Monies Received
It is anticipated that the applicant will receive their funds into their bank account by 25 May or six working days since the submission of the claim. So this is something that is worth pursuing as soon as possible.
