SEISS review rejected - 21 days late submitting 18/19 returns - what now?

SpiderLegs

gt94sss2 said:

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

Except I didn't know they'd extended the deadline - I was not contacted - nor did I understand what support was going to even be offered to self employed people.  Meanwhile accountants were closing, our offices were closed....

To be fair to the Government, they did announce the support scheme on national TV and it (and the extended filing deadline)did get plenty of subsequent media coverage.

They didn’t have to extend the filing date from 31 Jan at all - they did so, so more self employed people would qualify.

BBLS =  Bounce Back Loan Scheme 

The OP clearly did know about the requirement for a 2018/19 return as they have rushed it through before the 15th May when applications opened.

Perhaps they didn’t know about the extension, but if that was the case then they would have believed they had already missed the boat. No need to rush to the 14th May then of course.

The story fails the most basic sniff test.

Thrugelmir

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

It feels like HMRC in here.

What are expecting people to say?  Other than it's your responsibility. No one elses.  Unless your accountant failed to remind you of the 31st January deadline. In which case sack them. 

nathonjones

gt94sss2 said:

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

Except I didn't know they'd extended the deadline - I was not contacted - nor did I understand what support was going to even be offered to self employed people.  Meanwhile accountants were closing, our offices were closed....

To be fair to the Government, they did announce the support scheme on national TV and it (and the extended filing deadline)did get plenty of subsequent media coverage.

They didn’t have to extend the filing date from 31 Jan at all - they did so, so more self employed people would qualify.

BBLS =  Bounce Back Loan Scheme 

I watch very little television, and especially not the news.  Who does these days?
Wouldn't it have been better to contact self-employed people direct?  There may well have been an e-mail, but for the past few years any e-mail that I've received from HMRC has turned out to be phishing and most of it goes straight to Junk/Spam.

Extending the deadline is all well and good - and I certainly do appreciate that they did that - but between Jan - Apr we were in the middle of a very serious pandemic situation.  Offices, including accountants, were closed, people were having to make alternative child care arrangements, be off work entirely, worry about loss of income (when was SEISS announced?).

All I'm looking for is some understanding from the Government that submissions could take longer than usual during this period.
I missed deadline, via my accountant (who charged me for advice on SEISS and to submit the review - another wonderful demonstration of compassion), by 21 days.

Any other time I would have been fined £100 and I would have had my accounts submitted within the following few weeks.  Now,  in the middle of this crisis I am going to be punished around £3-4k, my business will go under and I, and our family, are now struggling to maintain our rent, tax and utility commitments.

RE: BBLS - How are we supposed to pay back a loan in the current circumstances?

I have been self-employed since 2005 and what will happen is that I will now end up having to claim Tax Credits for the drop in our income which will cost the Government far more than the money they'd have paid me for SEISS.

I thought this was a place for money saving experts?

poppy12345

There's lots of very knowledgable people that advise here but we are certainly not experts. As you didn't submit your tax return on time you're not entitled to the SEISS grant and unfortunately there's nothing you can do about that. We don't make the rules here, we just give advice regarding them.

A BBL can't be used for everyday living expenses, it can only be used for your business.

If you don't already have a tax credit claim then you won't be able to make a new claim. It will have to be Universal Credit. If you have savings/capital of more than £16,000 then you'll be excluded from claiming.

Whether you're entitled to anything will depend on your circumstances. Use a benefits calculator to check entitlement.

https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

Tammykitty

I have sympathy for you, but there is no support available other than a bounce back loan, unless you have premises etc and qualify for a different grant.
The government gave people extra time they didn't need to, to submit a return (and I am sure many people did - and they also had the chance to increase income on it to get larger grants). 
This extension also delayed the grant for many people that needed it but it was done to give people a chance to submit late returns.

mattyprice4004

How on earth did you miss the letters, emails and texts HMRC send, letting you know that your return is due on the 31st January? 
If you've been self employed for so long, you know when the deadlines are - stop looking for someone else to blame. You chose to file it late, it's cost you dearly and is probably the kick you need to file them on time in future. 

While I get that it's annoying, I specifically take 2-3 days out in December / January to file my return (at great cost to my business) so can't really have too much sympathy when people are either too lazy or fail to set aside time for this essential task that falls due at the same time every year. 

One year I thought I was going to be short of time, so I spent the latter half of Christmas Day and most of Boxing Day filing it. These are just the sacrifices you have to make when you're in business. 

Edit: Just to add, I'm not eligible for this support either so this isn't a 'smug' post. I have had zero support throughout the crisis despite the enormous contributions I've made over the years - that's life, as Frank Sinatra once sang  

mobilejo

nathonjones said:

gt94sss2 said:

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

Except I didn't know they'd extended the deadline - I was not contacted - nor did I understand what support was going to even be offered to self employed people.  Meanwhile accountants were closing, our offices were closed....

To be fair to the Government, they did announce the support scheme on national TV and it (and the extended filing deadline)did get plenty of subsequent media coverage.

They didn’t have to extend the filing date from 31 Jan at all - they did so, so more self employed people would qualify.

BBLS =  Bounce Back Loan Scheme 

RE: BBLS - How are we supposed to pay back a loan in the current circumstances?

You get 12 months (interest free to you) without having to make any repayments, hopefully long enough to get you back on your feet before you have to start repayments.

You CAN use a BBL as working capital which includes continuing to pay yourself your usual salary. Personally, in your position, if it meant avoiding worse consequences, I would use the loan for whatever was required. If I have to weigh up losing my home against potentially breaking the rules of the BBL, there would be no hesitation. Whatever consequences there were to that (and its possible there wouldn't be any anyway), so be it.

That is where I would be focusing my energy right now, because HMRC are unlikely to change their position on the grant with a late filing.

Thrugelmir

nathonjones said:

gt94sss2 said:

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

Except I didn't know they'd extended the deadline - I was not contacted - nor did I understand what support was going to even be offered to self employed people.  Meanwhile accountants were closing, our offices were closed....

To be fair to the Government, they did announce the support scheme on national TV and it (and the extended filing deadline)did get plenty of subsequent media coverage.

They didn’t have to extend the filing date from 31 Jan at all - they did so, so more self employed people would qualify.

BBLS =  Bounce Back Loan Scheme 

 between Jan - Apr we were in the middle of a very serious pandemic situation.  Offices, including accountants, were closed, 

Lockdown didn't commence until March. Offices were still open for much of that period. 

gt94sss2

nathonjones said:

gt94sss2 said:

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

Except I didn't know they'd extended the deadline - I was not contacted - nor did I understand what support was going to even be offered to self employed people.  Meanwhile accountants were closing, our offices were closed....

To be fair to the Government, they did announce the support scheme on national TV and it (and the extended filing deadline)did get plenty of subsequent media coverage.

They didn’t have to extend the filing date from 31 Jan at all - they did so, so more self employed people would qualify.

BBLS =  Bounce Back Loan Scheme 

I watch very little television, and especially not the news.  Who does these days?
Wouldn't it have been better to contact self-employed people direct?  There may well have been an e-mail, but for the past few years any e-mail that I've received from HMRC has turned out to be phishing and most of it goes straight to Junk/Spam.

Extending the deadline is all well and good - and I certainly do appreciate that they did that - but between Jan - Apr we were in the middle of a very serious pandemic situation.  Offices, including accountants, were closed, people were having to make alternative child care arrangements, be off work entirely, worry about loss of income (when was SEISS announced?).

All I'm looking for is some understanding from the Government that submissions could take longer than usual during this period.
I missed deadline, via my accountant (who charged me for advice on SEISS and to submit the review - another wonderful demonstration of compassion), by 21 days.

Any other time I would have been fined £100 and I would have had my accounts submitted within the following few weeks. 
RE: BBLS - How are we supposed to pay back a loan in the current circumstances?

The Self Employment scheme was announced on the 26 March, so the government gave another month to file or amend tax returns
Even if you don't watch TV, you must get news somehow - online, newspapers or via the radio etc? And you must have known the return was originally  due on 31 Jan so you were almost 4 months past this date. Did your accountant remind you at all?

I am also not sure why you are paying your accountant to deal with your SEISS claim/review, it's designed to be dealt with by individuals. Perhaps you need a new one?
The lockdown didn't start until March.

As others have said:
a) the BBL is interest free for the first year
b) you can also delay making many tax payments

Ultimately, and while I feel sorry for you, it sounds as if you were willing to pay a £100 fine for filling late and the consequences were greater this time.

Grumpy_chap

nathonjones said:

gt94sss2 said:

nathonjones said:

LilElvis said:

There really isn't any excuse for failing to file your tax return - especially when they extended the deadline and gave you over a year - and that has come back to bite you.

Except I didn't know they'd extended the deadline - I was not contacted - nor did I understand what support was going to even be offered to self employed people.  Meanwhile accountants were closing, our offices were closed....

To be fair to the Government, they did announce the support scheme on national TV and it (and the extended filing deadline)did get plenty of subsequent media coverage.

They didn’t have to extend the filing date from 31 Jan at all - they did so, so more self employed people would qualify.

BBLS =  Bounce Back Loan Scheme 

I watch very little television, and especially not the news.  Who does these days?
Wouldn't it have been better to contact self-employed people direct?  

To have not heard about the SEISS and the extension of the filing deadline, you would not only have to avoid TV, but also radio, internet, papers (even just noticing the headline on the news-stand as you walked past), bill-board adverts, indeed everything.

Were you really living on the moon?