Petition · past parliament

Provide support for owners of small businesses paid through salary and dividends

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

We want the Treasury to consider dividend payments as salary when offering financial support to small businesses run as limited companies with fewer than 5 employees. HMG should pay 80% of the combined salary value (averaged over 3 years where possible).
There are hundreds of thousands of small limited companies who legitimately pay themselves a low basic salary and dividends. A normal and legal model. They offer services such as carpet cleaning, IT Consultancy etc. They have families totally dependent upon them. They are locked at home under enormous pressure with no prospect of financial help. No work and no income. Current support only considers the small basic salary and leaves them cruelly exposed with almost no prospect of meaningful help

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign these petitions calling for the same action.

Pay self employed workers a wage due to lack or earnings caused by COVID-19: Pay self employed workers a wage due to lack of earnings caused by COVID-19.

Provide COVID19 income support for the newly self-employed, without HMRC records: Provide COVID19 income support for the newly self-employed, without HMRC records

Remove the £50k earnings limit for self-employed to access government funding: Remove the £50k earnings limit for self-employed to access government funding

Coronavirus Support Package for Directors / Shareholders of small Limited Co's: Coronavirus Support Package for Directors / Shareholders of small Limited Co's.

Get HMRC to refund the Self-Employed their Jan 2020 1st Tax Payment on Account: Get HMRC to refund the Self-Employed their Jan 2020 1st Tax Payment on Account

Bring forward COVID-19 Self-employment grants to April 2020: Bring forward COVID-19 Self-employment grants to April 2020

You can find out about what Government support is available for people as a result of coronavirus (under the section on employment and financial support) here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus


You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read correspondence with Government Ministers asking further questions: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
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Timeline

27 Mar 2020 Petition opened for signatures
15 Apr 2020 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 15 Apr 2020

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.