Advice for businesses and the self-employed affected by coronavirus

Additional measures have been announced to support businesses and the self-employed affected by coronavirus, including a new HMRC helpline and online support from The Growth Company.

HMRC has a set up a phone helpline to support businesses and self-employed people concerned about not being able to pay their tax due to coronavirus.

The helpline allows any business or self-employed individual who is concerned about paying their tax due to coronavirus to get practical help and advice. Up to 2,000 experienced call handlers are available to support businesses and individuals when needed.

If you run a business or are self-employed and are concerned about paying your tax due to coronavirus, you can call HMRC’s helpline for help and advice: 0800 024 1222.

For those who are unable to pay due to coronavirus, HMRC will discuss your specific circumstances to explore:

• agreeing an instalment arrangement
• suspending debt collection proceedings
• cancelling penalties and interest where you have administrative difficulties contacting or paying HMRC immediately

The helpline number is 0800 024 1222 - and is an addition to other HMRC phone contact numbers.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. The helpline will not be available on Bank Holidays.

Businesses struggling to manage having their staff working from home due to the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) can now access a suite of resources launched by The Growth Company.

With this in mind, The Growth Company’s experts have created a downloadable guide and video for businesses to help address these areas. These can be downloaded, along with a suite of resources including a series of recorded webinars at a new microsite: www.businessgrowthhub.com/Coronavirus.

Also available on The Growth Company’s microsite are resources to support contingency planning, cashflow management, supply chain challenges and frequently asked questions. 

The Growth Company has also created a series of free-to-download Coronavirus Support Webinars, delivered by GC Business Growth Hub with a panel of expert speakers from private and public sector organisations offering advice and guidance on the key challenges.

Businesses looking for support can get in touch for more advice and support by:

• Email: BGH@growthco.uk  
• Tel.: 0161 359 3050

Opening hours have been extended to Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am – 1pm to support businesses.