Revenue Irish Tax Firm

Revenue Compliance Checks on TWSS Payments

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As we are all aware, there have been a number of supports in place over the past number of months in order to safeguard businesses and employees during the Covid-19 crisis. One of the major supports in place that has changed format a couple of times this year but has been invaluable for many businesses is the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). This scheme allowed businesses to keep employees on their payroll during times the office may have been closed, or the business came under financial strain due to the pandemic, by having the Government cover the majority of an employee’s wage and the employer being given the option to top this up to the full amount. The subsidy has been extended into the New Year under new rules.

 

Unfortunately for some businesses, they may find themselves needing to pay back funds received through the scheme, as it has been reported that while the majority of companies have satisfied Revenue’s requirements for the scheme, as many as 66,500 or 10% companies in receipt of funds between March and August have failed to submit proof that these funds were used for the intended payroll purpose of paying employee wages. Compliance checks are not a new phenomenon with Revenue or TWSS as these have been ongoing since the change of the scheme in September, with some companies found in breach and required to repay their payments.

 

These businesses may be required to pay back a hefty €300m in subsidy repayments if they fail to satisfy Revenue’s reconciliation process before the timer runs out. These employers will be treated as owing the full amount paid out to them over this time period. It is worth noting that in addition to this, any companies failing to enter into the process will also find themselves excluded from Revenue’s debt warehousing scheme and will not be allowed to suspend their tax payments.

 

The first stage of the reconciliation process involves submitting the data as required as proof of how the funds were allocated, while the second stage could see Revenue assess employee payslips individually to assess the amounts paid against the amount received from the government, to ascertain if any outstanding amounts are in need of being returned.

 

We hope that this information will be of interest and use to you and that 2021 holds success and prosperity for you and your business. As always, we here at EcovisDCA are available should you have any concerns or queries about any business or financial matters.

Brexit - The Urgent Need To Be Prepared

Brexit – The Urgent Need To Be Prepared

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In another lifetime we spoke regularly about the looming threat to Irish business that was Brexit. With the Brexit date of January 1st now fast approaching, Brexit preparations join the long list of issues facing Irish businesses going forward. Irish businesses are currently under more pressure than ever before with the current Covid-19 crisis and with a recent survey by Enterprise Ireland finding that just 42% of businesses feel prepared for Brexit, the time to act and prepare is now.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has recently stated amidst negotiations that a failure for the EU and Britain to reach an agreement on post-Brexit trade would be “very, very damaging all-round”, and he re-positioned Brexit as an issue economically on par with Covid-19:

“We’ve all had a very significant shock to our economic system because of Covid-19, the last thing we need now across all of our respective economies is a second major shock”.

With this in mind, and despite all other issues currently facing us, we advise early preparation for Brexit, as it is essential to prepare as much as possible. As the relationship between Britain and Ireland is soon to change, there will now be additional hoops for Irish businesses to jump through in order to trade with Britain. This week we will step away from the usual topics associated with Covid-19 and focus on the issue of Brexit and ways in which Irish businesses can be Brexit ready.

EORI Number

As we have recently discussed, one of the most urgent steps that Irish businesses need to take ahead of Brexit is to register for an EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number. This number is essential for all businesses importing and exporting goods into the European Union. Applications are made through the Revenue Online System (ROS).

Brexit Readiness Checklist

A helpful way of ensuring you have all Brexit bases covered is to check in with your Local Enterprise Office and avail of their ‘Brexit Readiness Checklist’. This may assist you in identifying any areas of weakness that need to be addressed before January 1st and show you the steps that need to be taken to prepare your business for Brexit.

Customs Issues

One of the main changes which will arise on January 1st for Ireland is the new scenario of facing customs issues in trade between Ireland and Britain. As we have long relied on trade routes with Britain, this will be a major stumbling block to be prepared for and will require your product to be priced with this in mind.

The Clear Customs Virtual Training:

One major issue facing Irish trade with Britain going forward will be the issue of customs. As this will be an entirely new stumbling block between Britain and Ireland, it is advised to research and review any areas in which this may be an issue for your business. Many businesses may not deal with customs in house and will need training in this area.

With this area of confusion in mind, Skillnet Ireland has created a new free of charge online training programme (The Clear Customs Virtual Training Programme) to assist businesses in dealing with the increased customs requirements that will arise as a result of Brexit. Advance training will reduce the likelihood of delays and disruptions for customers and business owners.

The programme will be available to all eligible businesses and will be run as part of the “Getting Ireland Brexit Ready” initiative. Visit the Skillnet Ireland website for full information and criteria.

The Ready for Customs Grant:

Enterprise Irelands “Ready for Customs” grant has been set up to provide companies with the financial assistance they may require as a result of Brexit. Once Brexit occurs, companies may incur additional costs in hiring in house customs officials, mobilizing existing staff to other locations for customs related roles. The grant allows for €9,000 to be made available for each full-time employee as well as €4,500 available for each part-time employee. Repayment may be required if it is established that a customs role was not sustained. Applications will be accepted until December 15th via Enterprise Ireland’s online portal. Visit Enterprise Ireland’s website for full details and eligibility criteria.

Deferred Payments:

Deferred payment can be applied for via Revenue and can allow the deferral of the payment of import charges until the month following import. There may be other reliefs available to you, we advise researching via the Revenue site to see what is available.

Communication:

With the issue of customs, open communication will be key. Communicate with your courier’s & logistics carriers so that you have the full picture of your product’s journey going forward. In uncertain times, knowledge is key.

Funding

We have recently discussed the funding opportunities available to Irish SMEs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and with Covid rightfully taking up so much airtime, it may slip the notice of many that there are still some funding options available to assist in the Brexit transition for Irish businesses.

Brexit Loan Scheme:

The Brexit Loan Scheme is operated by the SCBI (Strategic Bank Corporation of Ireland) and is intended to assist with liquidity issues that may arise as a result of Brexit and makes funds of up to €300 million available to Irish businesses. Applications can be made through the SCBI website.

Ready for Customs Grant:

The Ready for Customs Grant was announced in the July Jobs Stimulus Package. It was announced that Enterprise Ireland would manage a new fund to assist Irish businesses to increase their capacity to manage the new customs processes ahead. Eligible businesses should visit the Enterprise Ireland website for full information.

Brexit Information Hub

In terms of overarching preparedness, it is advised to visit the Government’s new Brexit Information Hub which is intended to help business prepare for Brexit and beyond. This new service is free of charge and provides information, resources and webinars for all businesses.

We hope that this information assists you in some way to get ready for these further business changes. As always, should you have any concerns or queries about these or any other business and financial issues, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at EcovisDCA where we remain open and ready to help. 

Brexit - The Urgent Need To Be Prepared

Brexit – It’s All Customary

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It seems so long ago that one of the largest looming threats to Irish business life was the notion of Brexit and the atmosphere of uncertainty that surrounded not knowing what form Brexit was to take. Obviously with the current Covid-19 emergency there are much bigger threats to Irish businesses, but Brexit remains a very real issue that we need to be aware of.

If your business trades directly with the United Kingdom, there will obviously be some changes to your daily business life which it is important to prepare for. From January 1st, 2021, all goods imported into Ireland from Great Britain will be subject customs processes.

As we have discussed previously, one of the most vital ways to prepare for these changes is to register for an Economic Operator Registration Identification (EORI) number, we recommend completing this step ASAP if you have not done it already. This can be done through Revenue’s MyAccount online system.

Once you have your company’s EORI number you must then decide if all customs work will be completed in-house if you feel competent to do so, and have the required software and access to Revenue’s customs systems. If you are not comfortable with completing customs work yourself, you can engage a customs agent to work on your behalf.

We hope that this information has been of use to you and your business, and as always would like you to know that we are here for you and your company at any time should you have any queries.

The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme

The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme

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We have discussed Covid-19 business supports at length since the onset of this global emergency, while also discussing the vital nature of the SME area in Ireland. SMEs make up a huge portion of Irish businesses, and whilst last years looming Brexit panic may have seemed like an enormous threat to their business activities, this year has proven the ultimate challenge. With this in mind today we will be discussing another area of assistance for these types of businesses both in the wake of Covid and in the realm of what the new normal will look like.

The SME Credit Guarantee Scheme is intended to encourage additional lending to SMEs, something we can all agree is absolutely essential. This scheme offers a partial Government guarantee of 80% to banks against losses, essentially placing the Government as a guarantor against the SME’s loan. The scheme is aimed at SMEs facing difficulty in accessing traditional lending and is operated on behalf of the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SCBI) and is accessible from lenders such as AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. These loans are available to fund working capital, refinancing current Covid19 funding and also in order to invest in your business so it can adapt to the current emergency.

Loans range from €10,000 to €1million and can have a term of up to 7 years. A guaranteed premium will apply to be paid directly to the Government. The scheme is available until December 2020. We recommend checking in with your local banking branch for further information and eligibility requirements.

As always, we here at Ecovis DCA are available should you have any concerns or queries on any business or financial matters.

For more information visit Enterprise.gov.ie

The Help to Buy Incentive

The Help to Buy (HTB) Incentive

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The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme introduced in 2014 aimed at assisting first time buyers in getting a foothold on the property ladder and helping them to navigate the newer and stricter mortgage rules for prospective homeowners. The scheme is intended to help first time buyers with the deposit needed to build or purchase a new home. The scheme will give you a refund of the Income Tax and DIRT paid over the previous four years which is then used as the partial or full deposit.

 

The scheme has undoubtedly already helped many first-time buyers purchase their homes, but it has also come under fire in recent months as it has been suggested that the scheme has driven up house prices, thereby excluding more prospective buyers from the market. It has also been suggested that the scheme has aided many who were not in fact relying on it, and who already have the means to purchase their home.

 

This scheme was not only extended to the end of 2021 but enhanced in the July Stimulus plan and now allows for first time buyers to claim back the lower of either 10% of a property’s value or €30,000. For homes purchased after January 1st, 2017, the refund will be paid directly to the contractor.

 

Applications for the scheme must be made online via the myAccount or Revenue Online services.

 

We advise checking the Revenue website for information on contractors and developers taking part in the scheme as a first port of call. Should you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Euro Currency

Wage Subsidy Scheme Extension

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The Wage Subsidy Scheme has been vital for the continued survival of many Irish businesses amidst this current crisis, allowing them to keep staff on payroll during a time that otherwise may have necessitated mass layoffs. The scheme was changed to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) on September 1st and has now been extended until 31st March 2021, it is not yet known if the scheme will continue past this date.

With the current Level 5 restrictions, the Government announced that the rates for the scheme will be revised to better support businesses, with these new rates becoming effective as of October 19th. In terms of qualifying criteria, the turnover criteria for application is now 25% of the turnover for the same period in 2019.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said of these changes:

“Consistent with the revised health restrictions that have been announced by Government, a decision has been made to revise the pandemic supports that have been key to sustaining businesses and helping people to manage financially in the midst of this very challenging time. […] The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme is being enhanced, with a maximum rate now payable at €350, bringing it in line with revisions that are being made to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment”.

Both the extension of and the newly enhanced nature of the scheme are intended to ensure that companies can keep their employees employed where possible and avoid layoffs and employees needing to revert to the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). It is hoped that these changes will help companies easier transition back to normal business activities when it is safe to do so.

Further information on all Covid-19 pandemic supports can be found on the Revenue website. As always, we here at Ecovis DCA are available should you have any concerns or queries.

The Phased Payment Plan

The Phased Payment Plan – (PPA)

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We have dedicated ourselves over the past couple of months to sharing important information with our clients and friends, information which could assist in keeping businesses alive and kicking during such a difficult time, as our country begins to play hopscotch between the levels within the Living with Covid Plan.

As we discussed in recent weeks, a number of extensions have been granted which may assist businesses in filing on time, despite the ongoing challenges posed by the Coronavirus Emergency. It was announced recently that companies would be given more time to pay any outstanding tax bills to Revenue using a payment plan at a discounted rate of interest and would have until the end of September to agree.

Previously the July stimulus package allowed the warehousing of Covid tax debts until a period of reopening, as well as offering a level of amnesty on non-Covid tax debts. This saw a phased payment plan (PPA) enacted by Revenue wherein companies could repay their outstanding dates at a 3% interest rate over a phased plan. The deadline for putting this arrangement in place has now been extended to the end of October, which may allow for many other companies to avail of this plan.

Revenue themselves issued a statement stating that the extension was due to the challenges faced by taxpayers and tax agents during this time, while Collector General Joe Howley state that:

“The 3% interest rate available to taxpayers under this measure is a significant reduction from standard interest rates of 8% to 10% per annum that normally apply to late payments of tax. I strongly encourage the uptake of this opportunity and of the extended deadline that now applies”.

Another bonus to partaking in this PPA is that your company may qualify for tax clearance as a result of utilising this plan of debt payment.

Visit the Revenue site for more information on this and other matters, including a comprehensive booklet here Revenue information booklet .

We hope that this information is of use to you, and as always, we are fully available should you have any queries or concerns on any business and financial matters.

Budget 2021 – The €17.75 BN Package To Support Business, Homebuyers & Hospitality Sector.

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As with any Budget Day announcements, the devil is in the detail and obviously this year the details will be even more essential and will be looked into more critically than ever, as the initial announcements are crossed referenced, checked, discussed and debated.

Here we outline the main & most relevant changes that you should be aware of for your business. We do however anticipate there will further clarifications, alterations and adjustments to be made as announcements receive clarification. We will endeavour to ensure that we provide understanding on how each change directly impacts you and your business.

Naturally, we will keep you up to date with any important changes but as ever please Contact Us directly to discuss your specific queries regarding how these changes are likely to impact you directly and how best to achieve the ideal outcome for you and your business.

It is important to note that Minister Donohoe says that this year’s budget has been drawn up based on the assumption of “the continued presence of the virus in our country next year, and the absence of a broadly available vaccine, alongside the threat of a no-deal Brexit”

Budget 2021 The Main Points:

Economy

  • Between €4bn and €5bn for a ‘super fund’ to deal with the twin-threat posed by Covid-19 and Brexit is being discussed.
  • At least €1bn in extra funding for Capital Expenditure in 2021 over and above what was budgeted for in 2020. Much of it will be spent on transport, such as roads projects, public transport and active travel including walking and cycling. It will also be spent on social housing and school building projects.

Business

  • Businesses forced to close due to Covid-19 restrictions will be able to claim up to €5,000 week from Revenue. The Covid-19 Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) will provide businesses with immediate funding if they are forced to close due to level three or higher restrictions. It will be focused on the tourism, hospitality and arts sector for now but maybe expanded further if higher restrictions are announced.
  • Existing grants for the live entertainment sector will be topped up with extra funding and new schemes are to be rolled out to protect jobs in the industry. One scheme will provide a minimum of €10,000 to live venues where concerts or plays have been forced to cancel due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • A reduced VAT rate for the hospitality sector from 13.5 per cent to 9 per cent will be introduced with effect from November 1st until December 2021.
  • To support small and medium-sized businesses, debt warehousing provisions will be extended for a period of a year with no interest.
  • A new variant of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme will kick in after the current scheme ends next spring.
  • An additional €55 million for a “tourism business support scheme and €5 million for tourism product development.” will be made available.

Tax

  • The 12.5 per cent rate remains in place.
  • Work will commence on the development of a tax credit scheme for the digital gaming sector.
  • There will be no broad changes to income tax credits or band
  • In order to ensure the salary of a full-time worker on the minimum wage will remain outside the top rate of USC, the ceiling of the second USC rate band will be increased to €20,484 to €20,687.
  • The weekly threshold for the higher rate of employers PRSI will go from €394 to €398 to ensure there is no incentive to reduce working hours for a full-time minimum wage worker.
  • For the self-employed, a commitment to equalising the earned income credit with the PAYE credit by raising it by €150 to €1,650.
  • There will be an increase in the dependent relative tax credit from €70 to €245.
  • On climate change, carbon tax will be increased by €7.50 from €26 to €33.50 per tonne of CO2. Legislation will be provided to increase the tax each year by €7.50 up to 2029 and by €6.50 in 2030 to achieve €100 per tonne.
  • In terms of changes to taxing and cars, a modified new structure of rates and bands will be put in place with lower VRT rates for cars with lower emissions. The nitrogen oxide surcharge bands will also be changed so that higher emitting vehicles pay more.
  • The flat-rate addition for farmers (which compensates non-VAT registered farmers for irrecoverable VAT on their input costs) to increase from 5.4% to 5.6% from 1 January 2021

Capital Gains Tax

  • Entrepreneur’s relief to be available on disposals of shares by persons who have held the shares for a continuous period of three years at any time prior to the disposal (rather than a continuous period of three years in the five years prior to disposal as is the requirement currently).

Property

  • The enhanced Help to Buy scheme which was introduced as part of the Government stimulus package on 23 July 2020 to be extended to 31 December 2021.
  • Residential development stamp duty refund scheme to be extended by one year to construction operations commenced by 31 December 2022, with the time allowed between commencement and completion of a qualifying project in order to be eligible for the refund also to be extended from 24 months to 30 months.
  • Stamp duty consanguinity relief applicable to transfers of agricultural property between certain family members to be extended for a further three years to 31 December 2023.
  • The reduced 1% rate of stamp duty applicable to qualifying farm consolidation transactions to be extended to December 2022.

Brexit

  • There is €340m set aside to be spent on Brexit supports in 2021.
  • This includes an additional allocation for compliance expenditure in 2021. This will apply for work at ports and airports and provides for an additional 500 staff bringing the total provision for approximately 1,500 for operationalising checks ahead of January 1st.
  • A further €600 million will be allocated to the capital budget in addition to a planned increase of €1 billion for 2021 under the National Development Plan.

We hope that this information will be of use to you and that if these extensions are the wiggle room your company needs. As always, we here at EcovisDCA are here for you. Should you require any assistance or guidance on any business or financial matters, Please do not hesitate to contact us.

Revenue Irish Tax Firm

Important Tax Deadlines 2020

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We are living and working through some challenging times at present with a need to adjust to a ‘new normal’ which can be as difficult in the business world as it is in our home lives. As always, we here at Ecovis DCA want to help our clients and friends stay up to date, and have compiled the current tax return deadline changes we believe you may need to be aware of.

In light of the current public health situation, any shift in deadlines may make all the difference to your company. In addition to the below, it is worth noting that the HMRC are currently readying for Brexit, if your company has dealings with the United Kingdom, it would be wise to stay up to date on any changes here. In these volatile times, any shift in deadlines can be a massive boost to companies.

Income Tax:

The Government have recently stated that income tax will remain unchanged in the coming Budget. The deadline for self-assessed customers filing online will be extended from November 12th to December 10th.*

Corporation Tax:

Revenue recently announced a 4-week extension of the online filing system for Pay and File customers. The new date for customers submitting their 2019 self-assessment online will be Thursday, December 10th. Those not paying online must still file by October 31st. In addition to this change, Revenue has confirmed that the deadline for Corporate Tax return surcharge suspension will remain September 23rd.

Gift Tax:

Revenue has also announced that they will be extending the filing deadline for beneficiaries of gifts or inheritance for the year ending August 31st, 2020. This deadline has been shifted to December 10th for customers to make their CGT return, and as always this must be done via the Revenue Online System (ROS).

Local Property Tax:

For the third time, the reevaluation date for Local Property Tax has been deferred. The new date has been set as November 1st, 2021. This deferral is intended to bring forward legislation on the basis of fairness, bring new homes previously exempt into the system and to ensure that all monies collected in a given county will stay within that county.

Carbon Tax:

Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe has stated that he intends to repeat last year’s change to carbon tax and reinvest funds into areas that will assist with climate change.

*Please remember that these deadline extensions apply only to those filing online via ROS. If you are not filing online, your deadlines of October 31st will remain unchanged and failure to file on time may result in disciplinary action.

We hope that this information will be of use to you and that if these extensions are the wiggle room your company needs. As always, we here at Ecovis DCA are here for you. Should you require any assistance or guidance on any business or financial matters, please do not hesitate to contact us.

All the Best Things in Small Packages

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As we mentioned when we discussed the Government’s announcement of the July Stimulus plan there would be some options available to the owner of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to protect their businesses during and following on from the Covid-19 emergency. As previously discussed the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme has come to an end being replaced with the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), which has changes that may come as quite a blow to some SMEs as it may see them no longer capable of keeping their full complement of staff, or of topping up wages to the full amount. This has been a cause for concern for many small Irish businesses who wish to keep their business afloat during these times. With this in mind, we have decided to focus on one of most recently available funding options for some of our most vulnerable businesses, micro businesses which could be of great assistance to them during this period.

Microfinance Ireland are now open for loan applications of up to €25,000 for small companies of 10 employees or less. The loan term will be 3 years and follows on from an earlier loan scheme we discussed earlier in the year, which saw loans approved for 687 companies. CEO of Microfinance Ireland, Garrett Stokes has said of the current loan landscape;

“We can see where the demand is coming from most and out Covid-19 loan scheme has been tailored to meet the ongoing needs of those micro-businesses as they navigate their way through the current challenges and beyond.”

The key point to note in this loan which may be of interest to small struggling companies is the fact that these loans will have no repayments and zero interest for the first six months. In addition to this, interest paid in months 6 to 12 will be refunded by the Government in month 13 of the loan, providing that all repayments are up to date. Following on from this period, interest will apply at a rate of 4.5% on applications made through Local Enterprise Offices or at a rate of 5.5% for applications made via Microfinance Ireland themselves.

There is to be a state backed Credit Guarantee Scheme available to larger SMEs once they can prove that they have been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Applications can be made through Local Enterprise Offices or through MFI directly.

We hope that this information is of benefit to you and your business. Should you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us here at EcovisDCA where we are always happy to help.