Our teams have put together some of their top tips for navigating the current business situation - we are continually adding to this advice, so please keep checking our COVID-19 Business Supports Hub and our company LinkedIn page for more updates as they're added.

• Top tips: Claiming the Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy
• Top tips: Revenue information for taxpayers
• Top tips: Business continuity
• Top tips: Working from home 
• Top tips: Communications tools for remote working

The Government is operating a range of supports to help employers and employees navigate the economic fallout from COVID-19. We have set out below the current supports available; please follow the links for full details on our website.

• Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme
• COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
• COVID-19 Illness Benefit
• The Government’s general information page for employers and employees. 
• Revenue's general information page for taxpayers. 
• Employees of businesses that need to reduce hours or days worked can avail of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Short-time Work Support scheme. 
• Redundancy: Employers must be vigilant in their understanding of the legal concerns under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2014 and may need to seek professional legal advice in certain circumstances.

All banks have announced that they will offer flexibility to their customers, and they may be able to provide payment holidays or emergency working capital facilities where required. In addition, the following government facilities have been recommended as supports for working capital constraints:

• Credit Guarantee Scheme
• Strategic Banking Corporation Ireland (SBCI):
  • Working Capital Scheme
  • Future Growth Loan Scheme
• Enterprise Ireland
  • Sustaining Enterprise Fund
  • Business Financial Planning Grant
• Microfinance Ireland

See our overview of updates issued by Revenue to further assist businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes:

• Practical advice for dealing with Revenue during the COVID-19 period.
• Information for SMEs.
• Information for subcontractors.
• Information on importing goods.

Employees working from home as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may be entitled to tax relief.

• The relief is available in respect of expenses incurred while working from home such as electricity, heating and broadband.  
• An employer can make a payment of €3.20 per day to employees to cover costs such as light and heat, home phone, broadband. This is known as the e-worker allowance. However, there is no obligation on employers to make this payment.
• Revenue has issued updated guidance on the e-worker allowance and has confirmed that this may be paid to employees working from home due to the current COVID-19 situation. See Revenue guidance for reference.
• Where an employer does not pay the e-worker allowance, an employee may make a claim directly to Revenue in relation to home costs (light and heat, phone, broadband).  Employees can make such claims by applying directly to Revenue.
• In addition, no benefit in kind arises where employers provide equipment to employees such as laptop, printer, phone to facilitate working remotely. 

Communication is vitally important during this crisis. It is important to stay connected to employees, customers and suppliers. Make use of the various social media platforms to inform your contacts about major changes such as temporary closures and alternative arrangements. Consider using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram in order to deliver messages quickly and to a wide audience.

For remote working, there is a wide variety of technology solutions to enable you to keep in close contact with your clients and employees - we have outlined some of the most widely-used options here.

As the days and weeks progress, make sure to contact key stakeholders directly by phone, letter or email as you judge best. We should all be aware that this time is likely to be stressful for many of those we work with. Many people will be impacted in ways we could not have expected.

Clients should make sure to check their insurance policies for coverage related to Business Interruption Cover, or Credit Insurance. It is important to consider the implications of any exclusions for force majeure which may or may not apply to the current pandemic and responses from governments.

Preparation for the eventual recovery is very important. We are confident that this will come soon, and we should all be ready for it. Evidence from China and Singapore is showing us that business activity will pick up as quickly as it fell away. Business confidence has proven to be quite resilient in these countries. Supply chains have been interrupted to a considerable extent, and may take some time to be re-established, which emphasises the need for regular communications with key stakeholders.

Although our offices are now closed and we are working remotely, Walsh O’Brien Harnett remains open for business, and we are keen to assist our clients to navigate these choppy waters. Remote-working measures are in place for all staff to ensure continuity of service. The partners continue to be available via email and telephone as required, and encourage you to make contact.

We will update our website with the latest information as and when it becomes available.

Frank Walsh: 086 8304857
Andrew Kevitt: 086 8568965
Joe O'Brien: 086 0853132
Ronan O'Brien: 087 9877905
Conal Sherry: 086 3591696