Business owners who wish to apply for the NOW-2 scheme must submit their application by 31 August 2020 at the latest have submitted their applications to the UWV. These business owners therefore still have just over one working week to submit their applications.
Different periods
Under the NOW-2 scheme, there are several key periods. The application period The grant period runs from 1 July to 31 August 2020 inclusive. The UWV will reject without exception any applications submitted after 31 August 2020.
The grant period The NOW-2 scheme runs for a longer period. It runs from 1 June to 30 September 2020 inclusive. If a person is entitled to the subsidy, it will be paid out over this period. The basis for the payment is the taxable wage bill, whereby the wage bill during the subsidy period is compared with the wage bill for March 2020.
The other criterion for the NOW-2 grant is the fall in turnover experienced by the business owner. The basis for the sales period is that it runs from 1 June to 30 September 2020 inclusive. However, this period may be extended by one or two full calendar months. If a NOW-1 grant has also been applied for, the turnover period for NOW-2 must correspond to that of NOW-1. The decline in turnover is calculated by comparing the turnover during the turnover period with a quarter of the turnover achieved in 2019.
Enquiries?
Whether you are eligible for the NOW-2 grant depends on your specific circumstances. As at 31 August 2020, the turnover period has not yet ended. It will in any case run until 30 September 2020, but may even extend to 31 October 2020 or 30 November 2020. The application must therefore be based on an estimate of the fall in turnover. You are not entitled to the NOW-2 subsidy if the fall in turnover is less than 20%.
If, in retrospect, the decline turns out to be less severe than expected, the NOW-2 grant must be repaid in full or in part. However, if the decline in turnover subsequently turns out to be (much) greater, but you did not apply for the grant by 31 August 2020 at the latest, the grant will not be paid out retrospectively.
NOW-3?
The Government is currently considering how the support measures introduced in response to the coronavirus crisis should be continued. It is by no means certain whether there will be a NOW-3 scheme. It seems that the Government is set to place more of the responsibility on business owners. Make sure you’re prepared!