March 2021

MARCH 2021 AFTERMARKET 15 www.aftermarketonline.net I wonder by whom and when? Well, what we all know is that Furlough has cost Mr and Mrs Taxpayer loads. So much so that the younger generation, including Miss Not- Earnt-A-Penny-Yet, will be feeling the pinch too. Not to mention young Master I’m-Paying-Tax-On-My-Paper- Round. Could it be this up-and-coming generation, who will be paying for our Furlough forever, be taking a look? Fact Two Expect more U-turns and surprises. Could a year become two? Who knows? For example, we all were expecting a £1,000 bonus for every member of staff that we had kept in employment after initially Furloughing them in April 2020 or later. This is gone. We accept this. It is the way it must be, and it is okay because we still have our best friend if we need a shoulder to cry on. It is amazing that the goal posts can alter in this way and that this is the new world we live in. What else that we rely on could change? We quietly comply. Not, because we are robots or mindless fools, but because we are the opposite. We are intelligent and know it to be right and correct. After all, the impact of the pandemic has lasted far longer than we all thought. Fact Three You must agree with this phrase: “You (as a business) cannot maintain your workforce because your operations have been affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).” This is an interesting phrase on the GOV.UK website that we all agree to as we claim. Making a claim is super simple and straightforward but is it? A bit of me worries that I claimed Furlough as we did not need all our staff in Lockdown 2.0 but by then I had rebuilt reserves. Hence, I could ‘maintain’ my staff from these reserves but neither did I need them. I really do not know the answer to that and there is not any more description to offer clarity. I do wonder if this is a chosen tactic or a rush job? What I decided to do is to put some paperwork together. I strongly urge you to do the same. I put a comparison together of job numbers in 2019 and 2020. When they are down, I have claimed. However, you could consider turnover, general profit or a mixture of all three. Just a quick note here: I do not guarantee that this is correct or enough evidence but that, of course, is the point. Nobody knows what our future government/s will say but I bet they will say something. Finally, don’t let your new friendship with Furlough get toxic. Greed ruins many relationships, and it is guaranteed to ruin this one. Take, for example, Christmas. It is often a time when many garages close annually, but you will have to go a long way for me to believe that it was an appropriate time to make a Furlough claim. How was this different to previous years before the pandemic? As for blatant fraud, I don’t need to write about that. Claim mindfully and honestly. Keep the view that you will need to prove this to an idealistic, empowered taxpayer who knows that they will still be living with Mum and Dad way past their 40th birthday. Review your claims and give back where you feel you should. Ultimately, you should be proud to pay your taxes because this is just the flip side of your beloved pal Furlough. But yes. Do claim where you need to (hello April). Avoid the crossfire of the obvious tax reclaim process. It WILL happen. Remember that we are such a lucky industry. Please don’t step over to the Dark Side just because it is easy to do. Stop and think about every restaurateur in the country. They are probably having trouble putting food on their plates at present (pun intended). I will leave you with these thoughts. If our government can create a bonkers idea like ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, what else might they try? Just imagine the possibilities. www.aftermarketonline.net Please don’t step over to the Dark Side just because it is easy to do... ”