We have all been taken aback by the rate of infection of this virus and its widespread impact throughout our communities.

It will take time until we reach the peak and come out the other side so being prepared and planning ahead is a must in these uncertain times.

C&M Accountants is well placed to support you our clients through this period – we have evolved into an agile digital firm which means our staff can work anywhere with access to the internet.

We very much hope and plan to be able to provide our usual high level of support during the coming months and have the following systems in place:

Client Meetings

Should you be in a situation of self isolation or prefer not to venture out then we can offer Zoom meetings which offer a shared screen facility to help you with any issue that you may have

Our Offices

Everyone at Bizspace has been informed of the new standards of hygiene expected with plenty of hand sanitizer and tissues on hand.

Our Staff

With the majority of our systems in the cloud, we will be supporting working from home where necessary. This ensures the health of our staff and allows them to care for family members where needed.

We have a telephone answering system as back up so all calls will be answered and relayed to us.

Please do be patient as there may be some delays in getting back to you during busy periods.

Worried about cashflow and paying your tax?

HMRC have now set up a dedicated helpline for small businesses who may be struggling with cashflow as planned work/events  gets cancelled or postponed. The Coronavirus helpline number is 0800 015 9559. Clients will be able to request a time to pay arrangement. This is reviewed on a case by case basis and will ensure that the usual 3.5% interest levied on late payments is waived.

Business Rates Relief

For those businesses with premises, this will mean around 45% in England will not need to pay rates.

Grants for small businesses

A further £3,000 or grants could be available to up to 700,000 of the smallest businesses to help towards meeting costs.

Government guaranteed debt

The government has pledged to underwrite loans to businesses affected by the virus which would otherwise be seen as too risky by commercial lenders.

Supporting sick staff

The government has announced that where eligible, statutory sick leave will be available from day 1 rather than day 4. This covers staff staying at home on government advice not just those who are infected and so includes those who choose to voluntarily  self isolate.

Small employers with less than 250 employees will be able to reclaim any statutory sick pay claimed for up to 2 weeks per employee.

We are here to help and support your business so please do call if you need any further advice.