You must tell HMRC if, when you made the claim, you were not eligible for the grant. For example:
- for the first or second grant, your business was not adversely affected
- for the third or fourth grant, your business had not been impacted by reduced activity, capacity or demand or inability to trade in the relevant periods
- you did not intend to continue to trade
- you’ve incorporated your business since 5 April 2018
You must also tell us if you:
- received more than we said you were entitled to
- amended your tax return on or after 3 March 2021 in a way which means you’re entitled to a lower grant than you received
When you must tell HMRC
If you’re not eligible and have to pay the grant back, you must tell us within 90 days of receiving the grant.
You must also tell us within 90 days if there is an amendment to your tax return on or after 3 March 2021 which either:
- lowers the amount you’re eligible for
- causes you to no longer be eligible
You may need to pay back some or all of the grant. If you do not tell us, we’ll contact you after the deadline for making amendments to tell you what amount you may need to pay back.
You do not need to tell us if either:
- the amount you’re eligible for is lowered by £100 or less
- you’re no longer eligible and the grant you received was £100 or less
If you’re not sure whether your amount of grant has changed by more than £100, you should contact us for further help.
Penalties for not telling HMRC
If you do not tell us within 90 days, you may also have to pay a penalty.
Voluntary repayments
You can also tell us if you want to voluntarily pay back some or all of the grant you received. You can do this at any time.
What you will need
You will need your:
- Government Gateway user ID and password that you used when you made your claim
- grant claim reference - you’ll find this in the online service or on your copy of the grant claim
- Self Assessment Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number - if you do not have this find out how to get your lost UTR
How to tell HMRC
Use the Government Gateway user ID and password that you used when you made your claim.
If you’re unable to pay back the grant online, you should contact HMRC for help.
What happens next
When you’ve completed the form, you’ll be given bank details to pay back the grant. You should print or save this page so you can make the payment.
HMRC will only contact you if we need more details or if there is a problem with your payment.
Contacting HMRC
We are receiving very high numbers of calls. Contacting HMRC unnecessarily puts our essential public services at risk during these challenging times.
But you can contact HMRC if you cannot get the help you need online.
