Find out how to register your restaurant or establishment for the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme
This guidance was withdrawn on 1 September 2020.
The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme closed on 31 August 2020. The final date to submit a claim was 30 September 2020.
For information on paying back all or some of the payments your business claimed when taking part in the scheme. See Repay Eat Out to Help Out Scheme payments.
You can use the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme to offer a discount to diners and encourage them to eat at your restaurant.
You can use the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme:
There is no limit to the number of times customers can use the offer during the period of the scheme. Your customers 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 2020.
You can register if your establishment:
You cannot register:
You must register yourself. An agent cannot register for you.
If your application is based on dishonest or inaccurate information, your registration will be revoked.
To register, you must have:
You may also need your:
If you are registering 25 establishments or less, you must provide the details of each.
You must register all of your establishments at the same time. It’s not possible to add further establishments later. If you need to correct any information given during registration or amend your registration, you'll need to contact HMRC.
If you're registering more than 25 establishments
If you're registering more than 25 establishments that are part of the same business, you do not have to provide details for each one.
You should provide a link to a website which contains details of each establishment participating in the scheme including the trading name and address.
You may also need to provide a list to HMRC on request, with details of all participating establishments.
You’ll need a Government Gateway user ID and password. If you’ve used your Government Gateway and user ID for Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, PAYE or VAT, you must use your existing user ID and password. If not, you can use an ‘individual’ Government Gateway user ID, or create a new Government Gateway user ID and password and choose an ‘individual’ account type.
The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme is now closed. You can submit a claim up to 30 September.
You’ll be registered instantly and will receive a registration reference number - you should keep a record of this if you need it in the future.
You can download promotional materials to help you promote the scheme and let your customers know that you’re taking part.
The name, address and website URL of your establishment will be added to a list of participating establishments which will be available to the public. If you've registered more than 25 establishments, the website URL will be added instead.
You should contact HMRC if any of your registration information changes.
When you start offering the discount
You should include the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme name on the bill when you offer the discount.
You should wait until you're registered before you offer discounts to your customers. You cannot offer discounts before 3 August 2020.
When you register for the scheme, it is expected that you will offer it during the whole of your opening hours on all the eligible days that you are open and on all qualifying sales of food or drink.
You should offer the discount where there is a reasonable expectation at the point of sale that the customer is purchasing food or non-alcoholic drinks to eat or drink in.
Records you must keep
For each day you're using the scheme, you must keep records of the:
If you are using the scheme for more than one establishment, you must keep these records for each.
You can claim money back through the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme using the claims service.
The service will close on 30 September.
You must wait 7 days from registration to make your first claim. HMRC will pay eligible claims within 5 working days.
You will be able to submit claims on a weekly basis.
You'll still need to pay VAT based on the full amount of your customers' bills.
You must include the payments you receive through the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme as income when you calculate your taxable profits for Income Tax and Corporation Tax purposes.
HMRC has published guidance with more information on eligibility and how to offer the discount.
Public Health Agency has introduced the test and trace service to help track the spread of coronavirus.
You can contact HMRC about the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme if you cannot get the help you need online.
First published 9 July 2020