Has anybody here furloughed themselves yet?

[simes]

Definitely eligible to claim.

I think the confusion might have arisen from a previous poster stating he was told he cannot claim as he had rental income coming in. This advice may or may not have been correct depending on the circumstances. If the rentals were "hands-off" like they often are for long periods of time with stable tenants then I definitely think he would be able to furlough himself. I know my rentals all have debit orders set up and unless there is an issue I have zero contact or involvement with the tenants most months. Even more so if you have an agency managing it.

Money coming in means nothing in determining if you can furlough or not. If you would be contracting through the ltd at the moment and earning revenue, but are not due to the economy, then it's perfectly valid to furlough the "employee".

Many thanks for the continued thoughts on this.

The only circumstance was a No, from an HMRC chap, on a webchat.

Can I ask, have you furloughed yourself? And are your rentals through your LtdCo.?

To be sure, my contact with them is actually never and all are long term DD payers.

[hairymouse]

SJD seems to be of the opinion that you can't search for a new contract while furloughed. Here's a few excerpts from their advice:

If you wish to claim for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, you must meet the following criteria:

• Not be completing any work for your limited company, including searching for a new contract/networking (except for completing statutory filings such as bookkeeping, VAT returns and accounts),

Your claim can be backdated to 1 March 2020, as long as you meet the criteria as above, which includes not searching for a new contract since this date.

They are also suggesting that if you can afford it, wait until the end of the furlough and make your claim for several months at once.
It's a shame they are saying I can't look for a new contract, that's pretty restrictive. Not sure how I feel about ignoring their advice and claiming anyway, including March.

Less than 24 hours after sending this email, my accountant wrote to say he is leaving SJD. I wonder if the new guy will have a different opinion.

[northernladuk]

Less than 24 hours after sending this email, my accountant wrote to say he is leaving SJD. I wonder if the new guy will have a different opinion.

Why on earth are you still with SJD?

[jamed]

Many thanks for the continued thoughts on this.

The only circumstance was a No, from an HMRC chap, on a webchat.

Can I ask, have you furloughed yourself? And are your rentals through your LtdCo.?

To be sure, my contact with them is actually never and all are long term DD payers.

I have furloughed myself but the rentals are not through the Ltd, or in this country.

But if you don't have any work to do to collect the rent and you would usually be contracting through your Ltd then I cannot see a reason why you can't furlough yourself.

It sounds like that webchat agent might have misunderstood and thought you were a developer maybe or that your Ltd was a property company that owned and managed dozens of rentals as a full-time trade, requiring a significant portion of your time.

[northernladuk]

I have furloughed myself but the rentals are not through the Ltd, or in this country.

But if you don't have any work to do to collect the rent and you would usually be contracting through your Ltd then I cannot see a reason why you can't furlough yourself.

It sounds like that webchat agent might have misunderstood and thought you were a developer maybe or that your Ltd was a property company that owned and managed dozens of rentals as a full-time trade, requiring a significant portion of your time.

It doesn't matter how many rentals you have. There is still the potential for work or be available to do it at least. You are in contract with the agent and they you need to be available to speak to them about any issues with rent, maintenance and you tenant potentially needing to move out.

When your agent rings saying toilet is broken or tenant wants to leave you can't tell them you can't speak to them because you are on furlough. Just because you have income coming in that needs very little work doesn't mean you aren't working.

Not sure you average tax payer would be happy giving money to someone who's got income coming in.

[ladymuck]

It doesn't matter how many rentals you have. There is still the potential for work or be available to do it at least. You are in contract with the agent and they you need to be available to speak to them about any issues with rent, maintenance and you tenant potentially needing to move out.

When your agent rings saying toilet is broken or tenant wants to leave you can't tell them you can't speak to them because you are on furlough. Just because you have income coming in that needs very little work doesn't mean you aren't working.

Not sure you average tax payer would be happy giving money to someone who's got income coming in.

Hire someone to talk to the agent on your behalf

[jamed]

It doesn't matter how many rentals you have. There is still the potential for work or be available to do it at least. You are in contract with the agent and they you need to be available to speak to them about any issues with rent, maintenance and you tenant potentially needing to move out.

When your agent rings saying toilet is broken or tenant wants to leave you can't tell them you can't speak to them because you are on furlough. Just because you have income coming in that needs very little work doesn't mean you aren't working.

Not sure you average tax payer would be happy giving money to someone who's got income coming in.

Well, the solution to that is only furlough yourself for the months where you have not done any work. You could put a claim through now for March and up to April 25th if you have not had to make any decisions or had any business-related contact with them. Then just reassess at the end of each month going forward.

Whilst in retrospect there might have been the potential for work in March, the fact is if you didn't do any then you have not worked. Let's not get too technical here and trip ourselves over in detail looking for reasons why we cannot furlough ourselves.

The fact that income is coming in has nothing to do with it. I can assure you companies like CBRE still have income coming in, and a lot of it, but are still able to furlough their staff. Lets leave the moral side of it to the wealthy celebs. Simon Cowell calls for stars like Victoria Beckham to pay staff and not use taxpayer cash - Mirror Online

[DSF70]

If you are shielding (for 12 weeks) because you are in the identified vulnerable group of people, are you not supposed to claim the (lower amount) sick pay amount instead (approx £94 per week)?

I don't think that would be fair or makes sense to penalise the shielding population who could be considered on furlough as well, but I have read that this might be what is expected elsewhere.

Be interested to know what other people are doing in this situation as well?

Initially when I raised with accountant, they thought that sick pay might be my only route, but that was before HMRC added the bit about directors being able to furlough.

Video from Martin Lewis about company directors furloughing themselves and how much work they can do.

YouTube

It really seems like this is a massive grey area and SJD is being overly cautious about saying you can't look for new contracts. If you interpret what the video says generously, you could furlough yourself and then take an outside IR35 contract or permie job and continue to pay the furlough wages at the same time.

Has anyone else received advice about this from their accountant?

My accountant has said I would be fine to look for permie jobs, not contracts though.

[PerfectStorm]

Accountants probably being a bit OTT there. Even the government sites don't say you can't *look* for business

Think about it, what would the government prefer - you looking for work so you can come off furlough WHEN you get some, or sat suckling on the state's boob forever?

People are again getting tied up in wonderful amounts of theory that don't match reality.

[MPwannadecentincome]

It is not the time for 'warchest for a month or two of quiet market', IMO.

I have claimed too.. for the same reason.