The original HMRC information was that there would be no penalties (usually £100) for late filing of tax returns (and any fines could be appealed with a valid reason). However, many self-employed people are only finding out now that they no longer qualify for SEISS grants 4 and 5.

Had people been warned of this cruel and life-changing penalty which can be up to £15'000, then of course they could have paid for help knowing the grant would help cover the cost. However this penalty was cruely announced the day AFTER FILING CLOSED. These self-employed people are no less deserving than ANY other people and this decision must be reversed.

Hundreds of thousands of self-employed people have had to work tirelessly to hang onto their businesses since lockdown began. Many have also had the extra burden of sudden bereavement, depression, financial worries and all the covid related responsibilities such as home-schooling children, caring for vulnerable parents, self-isolating and catching Covid-19 themselves. Many have suddenly found themselves having to arrange funerals for loved ones and have been unable to cope with grief. We've even heard cases where accountants had died of Covid-19 and business owners have been unable to retrieve their information to take elsewhere for completion.

My wife had to deal with most of the aforementioned, as well as being ill herself in January/February. She was doing her utmost to hold everything together but of course when you’re then ill yourself - some things have to give. She has now learnt that through no fault of her own, this has now cost her £6000 from SEISS 4 and she is utterly devastated and broken after the toughest year of her life.

I run a totally separate business to my wife and luckily I filed mine in time, but even then, I saw no mention of future SEISS grants being at risk through late filing.

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND SHARE to help stop the penalising of self-employed people and help small businesses get back on their feet after this awful year.