The HMRC verification process for SEISS 4 for newly self employed
We’ve explained what is going to happen during March and April 2021 if you have recently started in business and had a self employed tax return submitted for a new business you started since the previous qualifying period for the Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), which was an April 2019 cut off. So if your business submitted a self employed return for the period April 2019 to April 2020, and your business has been impacted by coronavirus since then – ie right now specifically – April – June 2021, here are the criteria you need to consider before you apply for the fourth (which could be your first) SEISS grant.
If you’ve not seen that blog post, please read that first HERE
We have this on good authority that this will be the letter you will receive:
As ever, if you have any questions about this, please get in touch asap
01763 257882 or David@theaccountancypractice.com
Dear [name from data file]
Self-Employment Income Support Scheme: we need to call you for more information
Thank you for filing your first Self-Assessment tax return for 2019/2020 with details of your
self-employment income. You may now be eligible for Government support during the
Coronavirus pandemic, but we need to confirm more details with you first.
On 3 March 2021, the Chancellor announced details of the fourth grant of the SelfEmployment Income Support Scheme. This covers up to 80% of average trading profits in a
three-month period.
For more on the grant, please visit GOV.UK and search: SEISS
As you filed a Self-Employed or Partnership Section page in your 2019/20 Self-Assessment
tax return, you might be eligible to make a claim for the fourth SEISS grant.
We need more information to confirm your identity and business activity before we check
whether you may be eligible, and need your help to do this.
What happens next
1. We will contact you by telephone on the number you provided on your Self-Assessment
2019/20 tax return in the next 10 working days between 8:00 and 17:30. Please do
not call us as our call handlers will be not be able to help. If we are unable to reach you,
we will try again, up to 3 times. The call will be from an ‘unknown number’.
2. We will ask you to provide an email address and agree to receiving a link to a secure
Dropbox. A Dropbox is an online platform where electronic documents can be deposited
securely online.
3. To confirm your identity and business activity you will need to upload digital copies of the
following into Dropbox:
• One form of identity (suitable ID documents are included in the FAQ below)
• 3 months’ worth of bank statements to demonstrate your business activity
Please prepare digital copies of your ID and Bank Statements now as you will only have
2 days to use the secure Dropbox link once it is emailed to you. You will need to scan or
take photos of your ID and statement documents and upload the digital versions to the
secure Dropbox link which has been emailed to you.
4. Once we have received and checked this information, we will check your eligibility under
the SEISS scheme and if eligible, you will be invited to claim ahead of the service
opening later in April.
If you are unable to provide the required information, we will not be able to assess
your eligibility for the fourth SEISS grant and you won’t be able to claim under the
scheme.
For more information on SEISS, please visit GOV.UK and search ‘SEISS’.
Yours sincerely
Self-Employment Income Support Team
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What documents do I need to confirm my identity?
You will need to provide digital copies of one form of identity and 3 months’ worth bank
statements.
A digital copy of one of the following for confirming your identity:
• a current, valid passport, which must show nationality; place and date of birth;
passport number; expiry date; photograph and signature
• your current, valid UK photo-card (full or provisional) driving licence
• any Residence Permit issued by the Home Office to Non-EU Nationals on sight of
your own country’s passport
• your National identity card bearing a photograph
• your EEA member state identity card
• your HM Forces ID Card
• your firearms certificate or shotgun licence
• your birth certificate
• your adoption certificate
And digital copies of 3 months of bank statement that meet the criteria below:
• 3 months of bank statements for the account used in your business.
• the bank statements will need to be from the 2019/20 tax year (6 April 2019 to 5
April 2020) and they should demonstrate activity from your business or trade.
2. What happens if I don’t have a UK bank account that I use in my business?
If you do not use a UK bank account in your business, please inform us when we call, and
we will let you know what other documents we can accept.
3. How will you contact me?
We will contact you by telephone within the next 10 working days on the number
provided in your 2019/20 Self-Assessment tax return between 8am and 5.30pm Monday
– Friday You can confirm that the caller is from HMRC by asking for details we hold
about you.
We will be unable to be more specific with the date and time of our call. However, if
you miss our call we will try you again up to 3 times
4. What happens if I have changed my telephone number and you can’t reach me by
phone?
Please contact us on 0800 024 1222 and we will update your records with the new
telephone number and arrange for a call back on the number you have provided. Please
only use this number to provide us with your new telephone number. Our advisors
will not be able to transfer you to another department or talk to you about this letter.
5. I did not provide a telephone number on my Self-Assessment Tax Return. How will
you contact me?
We will use existing telephone records we have for you. However, if you think these may be
out of date, please contact us on 0800 024 1222 to provide us with your new number and we
will arrange for a call back on the number you have provided. Please only use this
number to provide us with your new telephone number. Our advisors will not be able
to transfer you to another department or talk to you about this letter.
6. What if I do not answer the phone when you call me?
If you do not answer the phone, we will call you again on the same number up to 3 times.
Please do not call our helplines as our advisors will not be able to assist you. If we
are unsuccessful in reaching you via the 3 calls, we will write a final letter with steps on what
to do next.
7. What will happen during the phone call?
We will provide you the opportunity to confirm that the caller is from HMRC.
We will then ask you provide an email address and with your agreement, we will send you
an email with instructions on how to share the documents outlined in this letter. This will
include a link for ‘Dropbox’ – a tool for sharing files securely. You will be able to use the
Dropbox link to safely provide us copies of your one form of ID and 3 months of bank
statements.
We recommend that you prepare copies of your one form of ID and 3 months of bank
statements as soon as possible. You will only have 2 days to use the secure Dropbox link
once it is emailed to you.
8. What will happen after the phone call?
We will review the documents you have provided and will email you to let you know the
outcome of our review.
9. I do not have an email address. How can I send my documents to you?
Please ask a family member or friend to help you. If you are unable to do this, please tell us
when we call.
10. What happens if I do not answer the phone or respond to the letters you have sent
me?
As we will be unable to verify your identity and your business activity, you will not be able to
claim the fourth SEISS grant unless we can confirm the details outlined in this letter.
You may still be able to provide the requested information at a later date, however this may
delay any future claim for the fourth SEISS grant.
11. What happens if I do not want to claim the fourth SEISS grant, do I need to still
supply the information?
If you do not wish to check your eligibility or make a claim for the fourth SEISS grant, you
can disregard this letter.
12. Is this a formal enquiry into my tax return?
This is not a tax enquiry into your 2019/20 return and is only to help confirm you’re eligible to
claim for a SEISS grant. HMRC might use information provided for other purposes including
compliance activities.
13. You have provided a contact number in FAQ no. 5 and 6. Can I call that number
and speak with HMRC about the letter?
Please do not call us unless you need to update your contact number. Our advisors will not
be able to discuss what is in this letter or transfer you to another department. You will need
to have a call back from HMRC to do this.
Please click here if you’d like to read the ‘official info’ from HMRC