Massive Help for Businesses in Kent.
- 17 March 2010 17:5343586HMRC : Press Release 17 March 2010
HMRC Business Support hits £122million in Kent
HM Revenue & Customs' Business Payment Support Service (BPSS) has helped Kent businesses reschedule £122million of tax in its first 15 months, new figures reveal.
The BPSS gives viable businesses, experiencing temporary difficulties paying their taxes, the opportunity to reschedule their tax payments to a more affordable timetable, as part of a 'time to pay' arrangement. These arrangements can cover PAYE, National Insurance, VAT or any other HMRC taxes.
In total, around 300,000 time to pay arrangements worth £5.13billion have been agreed by HMRC since the launch of BPSS in November 2008 - an average of more than 4,500 every week - including 7660 made by businesses in Kent.
Businesses from a wide range of different industries have arranged time to pay agreements through the BPSS - everything from retail, tourism, transport and leisure to farming, manufacturing, construction and engineering.
Welcoming the figures, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms said:
"It is excellent news that the Business Payment Support Service continues to provide much needed help to UK businesses, with over £5billion now rescheduled and over 160,000 businesses helped and a very high level of payment, in line with the agreements reached.
"The scheme will remain in place as long as necessary, as we want to continue to help businesses through the difficulties they are facing, because small businesses are the backbone of the British economy and have a vital part to play in our economic recovery."
The BPSS helpline can be contacted on 0845 302 1435 from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday, and from 8am to 4pm at weekends.
When contacting the BPSS, callers should ensure they have the following information to hand:
· Tax reference number;
· Details of the tax you are having, or will have, trouble paying; and
· When you expect to be able to pay the tax.email: dover7@msn.com - 17 March 2010 17:5843587Speaking with past experience of the difficulties small businesses can have in hard times...its very very useful to have this kind of scheme in place as highlighted above. Some of the measures introduced by HMGovernemt have filtered through to actually help the grass roots and no mistake. So there you are... its not all hot air from the politicos.email: dover7@msn.com
- 17 March 2010 18:0943590I believe I may have missed the point. Are small businessmen such as myself actually supposed to be grateful to these leeches for the privilege of actually extending the time over which we can line the Chancellor's pockets? Businesses are taxed twice - business rates then a tax on ones profits; before you know they will decree that profit making is a luxury commodity and they'll slap a 17.5% VAT charge on profits. With so much interference, so many overheads, so many taxes, I wonder if my lack of gratitude to HMRC and any other taxman that would like to come calling is just me.
I saw a woman on TV give a wonderful quote when asked about this (or similar) - "When will this Government get off our backs?" How very true. Taxed to the hilt and more, with just about everything we touch subject to the Government getting its sticky little fingers in the pie, we're told that duty on petrol is going by 3p per litre (plus the extra VAT on that) at the beginning of April; how much more are we expected to fork out? I'm buggered if I will doff my cap to the greedy buggers at HMRC and everywhere for having the kindness to spread our payments.
This country stinks. It has a culture of greed at every level from the Prime Minister down. Roll on the General Election when we get the chance to get rid of this sickening bunch of hypocrites.True friends stab you in the front. - 17 March 2010 18:2143592Small point but the use of the word "worth" is possibly misplaced. I suspect that they really mean that the sum mentioned has been delayed - that isnt "worth" - more properly the value of that is 2%pa over the period of delay. It also posssibly includes those who cant and wouldnt pay their tax anyway. I have just been told that by changing my VAT method - they take the tax by direct debit - I can pay 10 days later! BIG DEAL!!
I confess that tax vat and rates are a considerable burden to the small business as is the business of collecting the taxes for the taxman. The small businesses need more help getting out of the mud than the government offers and many so called help schemes seem to expect you to be spending millions before they apply. Everytime I see a new initiative I groan as it gives the impression that there is so much help available when for the small company it doesnt apply.
- 17 March 2010 20:0743605i think that roger knows something about a scheme run by the council to help small businesses.
apparently it was not very well advertised.
roger will give a more accurate resume when he logs on here next. - 18 March 2010 08:1043643Thank you Howard.
There is a Neighbourhood Forum meeting at the Town Council this evening, with a theme called "Help in difficult times".
Like Andy says, I think the Government have either got their heads up in the sky or up their own back-sides.
Talking to local businesses every day I know what their biggest problem is - London-rated rents and business rates, which are mostly based on the rent.
They accept that they have to pay them (unless they also own the building, then it's just the rates of course), but they are simply too high and many businesses are struggling.
If business-rates were tied to their profits or turnover, that would help.
Only yesterday, I was talking to a small business owner and he was asking why his business is only receiving 27% small business rate reduction when he knows others are receiving 50% (the maximum).
He would like to move into the main shopping streets of Cannon Street or Biggin Street but the rates are far too high.
I made inquiries when I got back to the office in Worthington Street and the small business rate reduction is on a reducing slide and goes from a rates value of £6,000 with 50% reduction, down to £12,000 where it's nil.
My question would be, shouldn't it be the other way round ? nil (or nearly nil) at £6,000 and a sliding scale of reduction up to the maximum of £17,999.
I must be honest I was confused as to why they say the maximum small-business rate relief is £17,999, when the sliding scale, apparantly, only goes to £12,000 - I'll find that out today.
To my mind - and every one I have spoken to agrees, that Dover businesses are not trading at the level of business, that their business-rates would suggest.
I know it'll never happen, but new businesses should only have to pay 50% rates when they start up and have their business-rates increase by 10% a year until they reach 100%, this way they will have built up their business, so it can afford the rates and if it doesn't last that long, well, they tried.
It is always important when starting a new business to create a good business plan, but in most cases, the rent and rates will kill the idea - I know of people who want to start a business in Dover and have written a good business plan, but can't proceed because of the rent and rates.
Roger - 18 March 2010 12:1943672Many businesses have their premises rent tied to their turnover. This is eminently sensible as it gives room for growth and hopefully property owner/manager and tenant all benefit as the business establishes itself and hopefully prospers.
Business rates should also be based on the same criteria. The benefit of this approach for rents is seen all over the country, but, not surprisingly, only the politicians and Treasury don't see it. All they need to do is talk to the big commercial property companies such as CB Richard Ellis or Jones, Lang LaSalle to see how this approach would help business and, ergo, Britain.
Simple dynamic, help business grow and the tax take will be higher in the medium/long term. - 19 March 2010 07:3843775I didn't know that businesses can have their premises rent tied to turnover; as rates are mainly based on rental value, this must help businesses.
The Minister concerned obviously doesn't have any understanding of this & the problems faced by small businesses and Towns all over the Country.
Towns will/are being decimated not by lack of entrepenurial (?) people, but rent and rates that are too high - and lack of footfall of course.
Maybe a secondary Town Centre trading area could take over from the main town centre(s) by opening shops in areas of the Town that are classed as secondary or third trading areas, that attract much lower rent and rates.
Roger