The Council is encouraging those who are self-employed to go online and check to see if they are eligible for the government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) – which opens next week.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has this week started contacting around three and a half million customers who may be eligible for the scheme to explain the application process and help them get ready to make a claim.
Councillor Graham Sinclair said: “For Orkney especially, due to the high levels of self-employment, it’s a welcome scheme introduced by HMRC. It will help to support those folk who are self-employed and whose business has been affected by the pandemic. I’m sure it will bring some folk a bit of relief at this troubling time.”
The scheme will benefit self-employed individuals or those in a partnership whose business has been adversely affected by coronavirus, covering most people who get at least half of their income from self-employment. SEISS is a temporary scheme that will enable those eligible to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their average trading profits up to a maximum of £7,500 (equivalent to three months’ profits) in a single instalment.
For more information – www.orkney.gov.uk/…/Orkney-Islands-Council-encourages-self-…