The emails which HMRC is sending out to taxpayers who could be eligible for the fifth Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant state: “If your turnover increased, you may still qualify for the 30% grant. You’ll still need to reasonably believe that, due to reduced demand or inability to trade between 1 May and 30 September 2021, you will suffer a significant reduction in trading profits.” This is not published on the gov website guidance!
HMRC has, however, published guidance on the turnover calculations: Work out your turnover so you can claim the fifth SEISS grant – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Absolutely vital is documenting why you believe you can apply for the grant including why you may be using 2018/19 as the reference year, rather than 2019/20. For those working consistently in the West End for example, the theatres closing on 17 March 2020 may have had enough of an impact on 2019/20 to be a reason that 2018/19 is more typical of a usual trading year, qualifying under “lost a large contract” during 2019/20. Or you may have had a baby during 2019/20 and taken leave during that tax year and so 2018/19 is applicable as the reference year.
We are unable to make claims on clients’ behalf, the onus being on the individual taxpayer to make the decision of whether they are eligible or not. We can help, however, with providing the turnover figures.