More than 53,000 outlets across the UK have so far signed up to the UK Government’s Eat Out to Help Out Scheme – and a new official online finder is available to help diners locate them.
The logo means diners that eat-in will benefit from a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks, any Monday to Wednesday in August, and no voucher is required. Diners can take advantage of the offer as many times as they like during the month.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Our restaurants, cafes, and bars play a vital role in our economy, employing more than a million people. They have been hit hard by coronavirus, so it’s vital we do everything we can to help them recover.”
Participating outlets must wait seven days from registration to make their first claim with all eligible claims being paid within five working days. Claims can be submitted weekly and businesses are still being encouraged to register before the 3 August to benefit for the entire month in which the scheme runs.
How do businesses register for the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme?
Businesses can use the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme to offer a discount to diners and encourage them to eat at their restaurant.
The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme can be used:
- All day, every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 3 to 31 August 2020
- To offer a 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in (up to a maximum of £10 discount per diner)
- To claim the money back from the government
There is no limit to the number of times customers can use the offer during the period of the scheme. Customers, however, cannot get a discount for someone who is not eating or drinking.
Alcohol and service charges are excluded from the offer. Registration will close on 31 August.
Who can register?
An establishment can register if it:
- Sells food for immediate consumption on the premises
- Provides its dining area or shares a dining area with another establishment for eat-in meals
- Was registered as a food business with the relevant local authority on or before 7 July
It cannot register if it is:
- An establishment that only offers takeaway food or drinks
- Catering services for a private function
- A hotel that provides room service only
- Dining services (such as packaged dinner cruises)
- Mobile food vans or trailers
HMRC says that if the application is based on dishonest or inaccurate information, the registration will be revoked.
What is needed to register?
To register, a business must have:
- The Government Gateway ID and password for the business (if they do not have one, they can create one when registering)
- The name and address of each establishment to be registered unless they are registering more than 25.
- The UK bank account number and sort code for the business (only provide bank account details where a BACS payment can be accepted).
- The address on the bank account for the business (this is the address on bank statements).
- The date the business started trading
Businesses may also need:
- VAT registration number
- Employer PAYE scheme reference number
- Corporation Tax, Self-Assessment or Partnership Self-Assessment unique taxpayer reference
If they are registering 25 establishments or less, they must provide the details of each. All establishments must be registered at the same time. It’s not possible to add further establishments later. If businesses need to correct any information given during registration or amend the registration, they will need to contact HMRC.
What happens next
Registration is instant, and business will receive a registration reference number – this will be needed when claiming the reimbursement.
When they start offering the discount, HMRC has said businesses should include the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme name on the bill.
Businesses must also wait until they have registered before offering discounts to customers - the offer discounts start on 3 August.
When registering for the scheme, it is expected that the business will offer it during the whole of their opening hours on all the eligible days that they are open and on all qualifying sales of food or drink.
If a customer purchases a meal to eat it but then takes it away and leaves the premises, businesses can still apply the discount.
Records you must keep
For each day, a business uses the scheme, it must keep records of the:
- Total number of people who have used the scheme in the establishment
- Total value of transactions under the scheme
- Total amount of discounts that were given
If businesses are using the scheme for more than one establishment, they must keep records for each.
Making a claim
No-one can claim yet. The service used to claim reimbursements will be available on 7 August 2020.
The service will close on 30 September.
Businesses must wait 7 days from registration to make their first claim. HMRC will pay eligible claims within 5 working days.
Businesses will be able to submit claims weekly. The business still needs to pay VAT based on the full amount of the customers’ bills. Any money received through the scheme will be treated as taxable income.
Find out how to claim money back through the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme here.
