In the Summer Economic Update the government announced an Eat Out to Help Out Scheme to give a boost to some of the hospitality sector for the month of August. 

Registration for the Scheme opened 13th July and is currently due to close on 31 August. The service you'll use to claim reimbursements will be available on 7 August 2020 and that service will close on 30 September. 

How the Scheme works 

The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme is to be used to offer a discount to diners and encourage them to eat at your restaurant or pub. 

Starting from Monday 3 August 2020, you can use the Scheme all day every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until 31 August 2020. You can offer a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person for food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in (alcohol and service charges are excluded). You then claim this 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.

Who can register 

You can register if your establishment:

· Sells food for immediate consumption on the premises 

· Provides its own 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

Who cannot register:

· Catering services for private functions 

· Establishments that only offers takeaway food or drink 

· Hotels that provides room service only 

· Dining services (such as packaged dinner cruises) 

· Mobile food vans or trailers 

How to register for the Scheme 

To register, you must have the following:

Government Gateway ID and password (you can create one when you register) 

· Name and address of each establishment to be registered, unless you are registering more than 25 

· UK bank account number, sort code and bank address for the business (where a BACS payment can be accepted) 

You may also need your:

· VAT registration number 

· Employer PAYE scheme reference number 

· Corporation Tax or Self Assessment unique taxpayer reference 

Click here to register: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-your-establishment-for-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme

After you register 

Once registered you will be able to download promotional materials to let your customers know that you're taking part. There will also be a list of registered businesses that the government will make publicly available. 

You should wait until you're registered before you offer discounts to your customers. You cannot offer discounts before 3 August. 

When you register, it is expected that you will offer it on all the eligible days that you are open and on all qualifying sales of food or drink. If a customer purchases a meal with the intention of eating it but then takes it away and leaves the premises, you can still apply the discount.

Record keeping 

For each day you're using the Scheme, you must keep records of the:

· Total number of people who used the Scheme 

· Total value of transactions under the Scheme 

· Total amount of discounts you've given 

If you are using the Scheme for more than one establishment, you must keep these records for each one. 

You will need to review the capabilities of the current technology you are using in recording transactions to ensure efficient production of this detail. That might be the till, the accounting software or the interaction between both elements. 

The MHA Carpenter Box Cloud Team can help with this and provide you with a quote depending on the level of assistance needed. Contact our team on 01293 227670 to discuss your requirements further.