If you run a medium-sized business, then there’s some good news – for a change. HMRC has a new service designed to support you and your business.

Help with Growing Pains

The new free service, called the Growth Support Service, is intended to offer direct help to the UK’s 170,000 mid-sized businesses as they expand and grow.

Through the service, HMRC tax experts will offer dedicated, tailored support to these growing businesses, offering them access to the information and services they need. To qualify for this support, businesses must be undergoing significant growth and have either:

• a turnover of more than £10 million

OR

• more than 20 employees

The type of support the HMRC specialists will provide could include:

• helping with tax queries
• supplying accurate information and co-ordinating technical expertise from across HMRC
• supporting businesses to get their tax right first time and access relevant incentives or reliefs.

‘Grow, Succeed and Prosper’

“Mid-sized businesses make vital contribution to the UK economy and I want to see them grow, succeed and prosper,” said the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mel Stride.

“The Growth Support Service will help these expanding businesses access tailored tax assistance so that tax administration doesn’t stand in the way of their growth and ensures businesses can focus on finding new opportunities.”

The top five industries and sectors that could benefit from the Growth Support Service are:

1. Manufacturing (i.e. building, printing or maintenance firms)
2. Information and communication (i.e. IT or software companies, film makers or publishers)
3. Administrative and support services (i.e. vehicle hire companies, recruitment agencies or call centres)
4. Professional, scientific and technical services (i.e. law and accountancy firms or quantity surveyors)
5. Wholesale and retail (i.e. high street shops, food and drink outlets or car showrooms)

HMRC’s press release says that the introduction of the service “demonstrates HMRC’s continued commitment to support UK businesses get their tax right.” HMRC already operates a customer relations service for large businesses and launched the Small Business Online Forum for small businesses and the self-employed last month.

Want to Apply for Expert Help?

If your business meets the eligibility criteria, then you can apply for help from the Growth Support service online.

You will then be contacted by your dedicated growth support specialist at HMRC to discuss your requirements. Their bespoke service will generally last between three to six months. It’s worth noting that your growth support specialist can only give you support with tax. They won’t be able to give you general business or business growth guidance – nor can they advise you on tax planning or avoidance.

If you would like to know more about the eligibility criteria and the support offered, or you need support for a medium-sized business that’s not currently experiencing growth, visit the service page for more information.

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About The Author

Kara Copple

An experienced business and finance writer, sometimes moonlighting as a fiction writer and blogger.

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