While many companies currently have to register short-time work, others can hardly find enough staff. This discrepancy is currently giving rise to many creative solutions that are already being prepared or implemented by some clients:
● Switching production to products that are in demand during the crisis
● Hiring your own employees to other employers
● Networking and job placement via platforms such as:
http://bit.ly/techhiringcorona or
WeVsVirusHack – SHIFTY. Hire don’t fire
● Internal company regulations for simplified cooperation between employer and works council.
The search for further models and ideas continues!
In addition, many companies are currently desperately looking for financial support. Here you can find current (as of March 23, 2020) information:
1. Investment and Development Bank Hamburg (IFB)
The IFB is launching an emergency aid program for the Hamburg Senate for small and medium-sized businesses and freelancers in “Corona difficulties” that threaten their existence:
“Hamburg Corona emergency aid” (HCS). These are direct grants between €2,500 and €25,000, the program is expected to start in the 13th week:
Only for companies based in Hamburg.
https://www.ifbhh.de/magazin/news/coronavirus-hilfen-fuer-unternehmen
Hotline numbers: 040 42841 1497 and 040 42841 1648
2. Financing portal of the guarantee banks
If loans become necessary for your company as a result of the Corona crisis, the guarantee banks can make this possible in conjunction with house bank financing.
https://finanzsportal.ermoeglicher.de/
3. Bürgschaftsgemeinschaft Hamburg GmbH
Measures (initially limited until December 31, 2020): Doubling the guarantee limit from EUR 1.25 to EUR 2.5 million, up to a guarantee volume of EUR 250 thousand, the BG decides on its own authority, i.e. the BG can decide alone within 72 hours. Increasing the guarantee to 80% for existing companies for working capital loans. The upper limit of 35% working capital of the total commitment is increased to 50%.
https://www.bg-hamburg.de/aktuell/corona-virus-infos-fuer-unternehmen/
4. Schleswig-Holstein financing initiative
The funding institutes of the state of Schleswig-Holstein (BB-SH, IB.SH, MBG-SH) have jointly launched a financing initiative to counteract the economic consequences of the crisis.
Here, a project is examined directly by a so-called financing coordinator of the initiative and the IB.SH, MBG or BB are involved in order to develop the optimal solution with the offers of the funding institutes.
https://www.ib-sh.de/infoseite/hilfen-fuer-unternehmen/
5. Lower Saxony Guarantee Bank (NBB)
Doubling the guarantee limit to EUR 2.5 million (previously EUR 1.25 million), expanding funding options for working capital loans, accelerating the approval process for guarantees up to EUR 240 thousand with a loan volume of EUR 300 thousand. The Mittelständische Beteiligungsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (MBG) can also be used to strengthen the equity base
6. Deferral of health insurance contributions
Social security contributions can be deferred if a company gets into significant financial difficulties due to the current crisis. Requirements:
Significant hardship for the company:
● Serious payment difficulties due to unfavorable economic circumstances or if these would occur after social security contributions have been collected
● Important: Only possible in the event of situational over-indebtedness
Application from the company to the responsible health insurance company, where proof must be provided that the requirements are met
7. Tax support measures tax offices
According to oral tradition, the BMF essentially instructed the states to take the following measures:
● Facilitating tax authorities to grant deferrals of tax debts
● If companies are directly affected by the economic consequences of the coronavirus, enforcement measures and late payment surcharges will be waived until the end of 2020
● Easing the requirements for adjusting taxpayers’ advance payments
● Interest or interest-like instruments incurred as a result of the crisis (late payment surcharges, deferred interest, etc.) should be waived as far as possible if the virus is the cause.
Requirements:
● Adjustments to advance payments are possible without any special evidence such as business evaluations or similar.
● The hurdles of the requirements for deferment (worthiness of deferment and need for deferment) should be significantly reduced by the responsible bodies (Stund-E bodies).
Application to the responsible tax office