The government aims to raise £12billion by introducing a new 1.25% levy on both earned income and on employers’ wage bills to raise funds for the NHS and adult social care. From April 2022, the new Health and Social Care Levy (HSCL) comes into effect. It might be called a levy, but the HSCL is...

From 1st July 2021, employers must now pay part of employees’ furlough wages as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) starts to wind down. What do you need to know? Head of Payroll Joanne Gibson advises. For claim periods ending on or before 30 June 2021 you could claim (from the CJRS) 80% of an...

We are delighted to announce that Joanne Gibson has just become our newest Partner in the firm. As an Associate with the firm and our Payroll Manager, Joanne will already be well known to many of you. As JRW continues to grow and expand, this exciting appointment recognises Joanne’s considerable talent and demonstrates a continual...

On budget day (or 3 March 2021 for those of you who didn’t have this in the diary) the Chancellor confirmed that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will now run until 30 September 2021. Up to and including 30 June 2021 you can claim, and must pay the employee, 80% of their reference pay...

The government has just announced the national living wage (NLW) and national minimum wage (NMW) rates which will come into force from April 2021. What are they? The NLW will increase by 2.2% from £8.72 to £8.91 per hour. For the first time it will cover those aged 23 and 24. Here are the rates...

HMRC recently published guidance on the definition and application of ‘exceptional circumstances’ to the COVID 19 pandemic when reviewing residence issues. This brought some hope, but since this there has been no mention of any softening of the approach to Seafarer’s Earnings Deduction claims. Seafarer’s are potentially significantly affected by COVID, as many of them...

Coronavirus Job Retention Bonus The government will introduce a one-off payment of £1,000 to UK employers for every furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021. Employees must earn above the Lower Earnings Limit (£520 per month) on average between the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and...

Flexible Furloughing From 1 July 2020 there will be increased flexibility in the CJRS. Employers can bring back employees on a part-time basis with the government continuing to pay 80% of wages for any of their normal hours they do not work. You can decide the hours and shift patterns that your employees work and...

The government published guidance late last night on the operation of the Job Retention Scheme. We have had many enquiries in relation to this matter and hopefully the following information will answer the majority of these queries. Recap of the Basics Employers can claim 80% of furloughed worker’s usual wage costs up to £2,500 per...

Are you and your staff handling tips correctly? If you operate a café or restaurant, your employees will receive tips from the majority of customers. But as a business owner, what do need to do regarding income tax on these tips? Head of our Payroll Team Joanne Gibson explains. The starting point is to confirm...