The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has warned businesses to get \u201ctheir data right\u201d or face delays receiving grants under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).<\/p>\n
The warning comes after a number of firms\u2019 applications were rejected for using \u2018xls\u2019 or \u2018xlsx\u2019 file types to upload financial data.<\/p>\n
HMRC guidance states that from 25 August, any files uploaded to claim a grant under the CJRS containing the details of 100 or more furloughed employees \u201cmay be automatically rejected\u201d if an incorrect format or file type is used.<\/p>\n
Your claim could be rejected, for example, if the file contains too many or too few columns or sheets or is uploaded in an \u2018xls\u2019 or \u2018xlsx\u2019 file type.<\/p>\n
The ICAEW advises that employers claiming for 100 or more employees should use the \u2018CSV\u2019 or \u2018ODS\u2019 file types or use the HMRC template<\/a> provided.<\/p>\n The warning follows immediate changes to the way CJRS usual hours are calculated. According to the regulator, HMRC has updated its guidance on \u201chow to perform usual hours calculations where employees come off furlough or flexible furlough partway through a claim period\u201d.<\/p>\n The change comes after confusion about how to calculate an employee\u2019s usual hours<\/a>, particularly where an employer is claiming for multiple employees and some employees remain furloughed.<\/p>\n