25 signatures reached
To: Rishi Sunak
Lack of Government income support for those who went Self-employed in 2019
Extend the income support scheme to those who went full-time self-employed during the 2019/20 tax year and base the amount they can receive on their tax and national insurance paid earnings for 2018/19
Why is this important?
There are so many of us who have fallen through THE HUGE GAP of the self-employed income support scheme (SEISS) because we were either; not self-employed during 2018/19, or our self-employed earnings were less than 50% of our employed and self-employed earnings, combined in 2018/19.
if the eligibility doesn't take into consideration self-employed profit (earnings) for 2019/20, then why can't this category of self-employed people have financial support based on their tax paid earnings during 2018/19, if they were self-employed during 2019/20 and still intending to trade in 2020/21. Just like the millions of self-employed people who will be eligible for the SEISS, and calculated based on their profit (earnings) of up to £50k in 2018/19 - this category of people don't have to have submitted their 2019/20 self-assessment to qualify for the SEISS; how does HMRC even know if they were even trading in 2019/20.
I went full-time self-employed early 2019 and my taxable profits, after business expenses were just shy of £11,000. I intend to trade again as soon as possible in 2020/21. More frustratingly, I paid tax on £32000 in 2018/19 for my employed AND self-employed earnings combined, but I am not eligible to claim the SEISS because my self-employed earnings on their own for 2018/19, were less than 50% of my over-all earnings, and they're not taking into consideration 2019/20 profit (earnings)!
How is this right or fair on the 1000's of people who fall into the same category as me?
It's simply outrageous and the treasury needs to step up, re-think and support us too. Many of us will have been paying tax and national insurance on our earnings for most of our adult lives which could be as long as 40 years + and therefore contributing to the state, but when we need help the most, the state is abandoning us.
The only other options for self-employed in this 'in limbo category' is to take out some kind of government backed loan, if indeed you can get one, BUT that has to be paid back. Yet millions of businesses are able to pay their furloughed staff up to 80% of their salary, regardless if they have been employed for 1 month or 20 years of their lives as at 19 March 2020 - They will NOT HAVE TO PAY THIS MONEY BACK.
Millions of self-employed who are eligible for the SEISS, will be able to get up to £2500 per month for 3 months based on their profits (earnings) for 2018/19 - They will NOT HAVE TO PAY THIS MONEY BACK.
The government have encouraged people to become entrepreneurs over recent years, which has positively contributed to the reduction in the unemployment rate, and now, many of us feel abandoned and had this thrown back in our faces.
I'm sure, like me, 1000's of people have worked hard to get their businesses off the ground, with things starting to take off before COVID-19 hit us and we need something to be done to help us in order to stay afloat during these very difficult times.
if the eligibility doesn't take into consideration self-employed profit (earnings) for 2019/20, then why can't this category of self-employed people have financial support based on their tax paid earnings during 2018/19, if they were self-employed during 2019/20 and still intending to trade in 2020/21. Just like the millions of self-employed people who will be eligible for the SEISS, and calculated based on their profit (earnings) of up to £50k in 2018/19 - this category of people don't have to have submitted their 2019/20 self-assessment to qualify for the SEISS; how does HMRC even know if they were even trading in 2019/20.
I went full-time self-employed early 2019 and my taxable profits, after business expenses were just shy of £11,000. I intend to trade again as soon as possible in 2020/21. More frustratingly, I paid tax on £32000 in 2018/19 for my employed AND self-employed earnings combined, but I am not eligible to claim the SEISS because my self-employed earnings on their own for 2018/19, were less than 50% of my over-all earnings, and they're not taking into consideration 2019/20 profit (earnings)!
How is this right or fair on the 1000's of people who fall into the same category as me?
It's simply outrageous and the treasury needs to step up, re-think and support us too. Many of us will have been paying tax and national insurance on our earnings for most of our adult lives which could be as long as 40 years + and therefore contributing to the state, but when we need help the most, the state is abandoning us.
The only other options for self-employed in this 'in limbo category' is to take out some kind of government backed loan, if indeed you can get one, BUT that has to be paid back. Yet millions of businesses are able to pay their furloughed staff up to 80% of their salary, regardless if they have been employed for 1 month or 20 years of their lives as at 19 March 2020 - They will NOT HAVE TO PAY THIS MONEY BACK.
Millions of self-employed who are eligible for the SEISS, will be able to get up to £2500 per month for 3 months based on their profits (earnings) for 2018/19 - They will NOT HAVE TO PAY THIS MONEY BACK.
The government have encouraged people to become entrepreneurs over recent years, which has positively contributed to the reduction in the unemployment rate, and now, many of us feel abandoned and had this thrown back in our faces.
I'm sure, like me, 1000's of people have worked hard to get their businesses off the ground, with things starting to take off before COVID-19 hit us and we need something to be done to help us in order to stay afloat during these very difficult times.
How it will be delivered
I will deliver the signatures by email
