BUSINESSES in Ayrshire can tap into webinar training sessions run by HMRC to help them apply for the next SEISS grant.

HM Revenue and Customs has updated its online guidance offering even more information about the latest SEISS grant which is worth up to £7,500.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has helped millions of self-employed workers across the UK throughout COVID.

The online service to claim the fourth grant will be available from late April 2021.

People who want to find out of they are eligible to apply should contact HMRC who will, in turn, assign you a date when you can make your claim from.

This will be either by email or a letter.

The live webinar sessions, hosted by HMRC, is aimed at helping self-employed people understand if they can apply for a fourth SEISS grant.

The seminars cover how to claim a grant, how much they could be given and what happens once they submit their application.

They are free and registration involves simply signing up with your email address, once you register you are sent a confirmation email and a link to gain access to the webinars.

HMRC have also included a warning in the registration email which advises that the link must not be shared with other businesses, it is exclusive to your business’s application.

The dates for the seminars are:

Thursday, April 29 from 9.45am to 10.45am

Thursday, April 29 from 11.45am to 12.45pm

Friday, April 30 from 9.45am to 10.45am

During the seminars you use the chat box function to ask questions to the expert advisors.

The HMRC website states: “This webinar takes you through the aim of the scheme, who can apply, how much you may be entitled to, how to claim the fourth grant, and what happens after you have claimed.

“If you’re eligible based on your tax returns, HMRC will contact you in mid-April to give you a date that you can make your claim from. It will be given to you either by email, letter or within the online service.”

To make a claim for the fourth grant, a person will need their: Self Assessment Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), National Insurance number, Government Gateway user ID and password, UK bank details including account number, sort code, name on the account and address linked to the account

As with previous grants, claimants must have been impacted by reduced activity, capacity and demand or been previously trading but are temporarily unable to do so.

HMRC will look at a claimants trading profits and non-trading income on their Self-Assessment tax returns to check if they meet the eligibility criteria for the fourth SEISS grant.

The claimant had fewer customers or clients than they’d normally expect, resulting in reduced

activity due to social distancing or Government restrictions; they had one or more contracts be cancelled and not replace; they carried out less work due to supply chain disruptions; their business has had to close due to government restrictions; they have been instructed to shield or self-isolate in

line with NHS guidelines and are unable to work from home or they have tested positive for coronavirus and are unable to work