The latest COVID-19 support scheme statistics include information on the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, Business Resumption Support Scheme, Covid Restrictions Support Scheme and the tax debt warehousing scheme. There is also information on timing of registrations and claims under the BRSS in advance of the deadline for making claims on 30 November.
Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS)
There are 28,100 employers registered with Revenue for the EWSS. During November (to 11 November) €87 million in EWSS payments have been paid to 16,300 employers, supporting 192,200 employees. The latest statistics show that 40 percent of the 288,400 employees whose employment were supported by the EWSS in October were working in the accommodation and food services sector and 24 percent of the 25,600 October employers in receipt of EWSS payments were operating in the same sector.
Business Resumption Support Scheme (BRSS)
Revenue opened the registration portal for the BRSS on 6 September 2021. So far, 1,450 businesses with 1,550 trades have availed of BRSS and claims of €5.2 million have been paid under the scheme. The breakdown of registrations by sector is as follows:
Sectors
|
Bar (wet pub)
|
510
|
Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service and related activities
|
145
|
Bar (serving food)
|
135
|
Café, Restaurants
|
170
|
Hotels and Accommodation (B&Bs etc)
|
110
|
Personal Services (hairdressers, beauticians, etc)
|
25
|
Passenger Transport (land, water or air)
|
30
|
Gym, Leisure Centre, Swimming Pool
|
20
|
Retail Specialist Store (clothes, toys, florist, etc)
|
35
|
Performing Arts and Supporting Activities
|
35
|
Event catering activities
|
20
|
Construction and Maintenance
|
20
|
Other
|
285
|
Number of trades
|
1,550
|
BRSS provides an advanced credit for trading expenses (ACTE) of up to €15,000 for each qualifying trade carried on by qualifying persons, including companies, self-employed individuals, certain charities and approved sporting bodies and precedent partners on behalf of partnerships. There is a two-step process for making claims – Register for BRSS via the eRegistration system on ROS; and complete the claim for the ACTE via the eRepayments system on ROS.
Revenue indicated at a TALC meeting that a BRSS registration will be reviewed the day following its submission and once processed, it will take a day for the “BRSS tax head” to appear on the eRepayments system on ROS. BRSS claims should be made no later than 30 November. Accountants seeking to register clients for BRSS in the coming weeks should factor the time it may take to complete the registration process into their work scheduling.
See the BRSS guidelines for further details.
Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS)
As the CRSS continues to winddown just 110 businesses with 220 premises remain registered for the scheme. With the easing of public health restrictions on 22 October, no businesses are considered to be significantly restricted from operating for the purposes of the CRSS. Claims for restart week payments must be made within 8 weeks of the lifting of the relevant restrictions. Further information is available through the CRSS guidelines.
Debt warehousing
Revenue reports that over 98,000 businesses are availing of the debt warehousing scheme, which includes 2,700 Large Cases and Medium Enterprise Division taxpayers.
The breakdown of amounts warehoused at the end of October is as follows:
Warehoused liabilities
|
VAT
|
€1,339 million
|
Employers’ PAYE
|
€1,371 million
|
Income tax
|
€32 million
|
TWSS/EWSS
|
€59 million
|
Total
|
€2,801 million
|
Taxpayers can continue to warehouse tax debts until 31 December 2021. Following this, no interest will be applied on warehoused liabilities for 2022. Interest will apply at 3 percent per annum from 1 January 2023 until the warehoused debt has been fully discharged.
See Revenue’s latest COVID-19 support scheme statistics for further details.