All News

Summary

Contractors can step in to help take data protection in a new direction. If that’s wise.

Written by Gerrish Legal
Summary

September 30th is a cut-off many can’t afford to ignore. Not that HMRC is making successful applications easy.

Written by Thomas Wallace
Summary

Under a sort of drop-ball decision, PGMOL will restart at the FTT because judges committed fouls on Mutuality and Control.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Revealed: Three personality-types that make engagers of IT contractors difficult, overbearing, even notorious.

Written by Matt Collingwood
Summary

Returning to a path well-trodden, the taxman is policing PSCs’ payrolls, potentially as a 'way-in’ to probing IR35.

Written by Nigel Nordone
Summary

Mid-sized clients exposed as treating off-payroll rules as a covid add-on, with most not tracking or tracing contractors for IR35.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Billings, shortages, and rates are still all but off the charts in the temp tech sector.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak accused of not understanding the tiny enterprises which the economy needs.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Umbrella contractors are the worst off, but the PM’s new 1.25% levy is set to sting almost all in UK contracting.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

A lucky legislative start means many of your data transfers are now covered by ‘adequacy.’ Yet not forever, and likely not all.

Summary

Prime minister lambasted by a former fund manager for an ‘ambiguous’ WFH stance.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

How the contractor-friendly bank regards you, and how many times salary it’ll lend.

Written by John Yerou
Summary

Not for the first time, scheme users are being made aware by the taxman while scheme promoters look on. So contractors, it’s time to protect your position.

Written by Crawford Temple
Summary

Ending the era of in-person hiring is a monumental decision that will help the UK deal with covid, Brexit and skills shortages.

Written by Keith Rosser
Summary

The punishment for looting covid relief is expectantly harsh, yet dissolving is no escape.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Home Office acts on ‘feedback’ that physical checks have had their day, and commits to a ‘new digital solution.’

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

An off-payroll reviewer says engagers are climbing mountains to reach outside IR35 determinations.

Summary

The telco’s hack is so big it could impact you both as a customer and as a processor or subprocessor, with security-confidentiality obligations.

Written by Gerrish Legal
Summary

Answers demanded as HM Courts & Tribunal Service fluffs off-payroll legislation, taking the taxman’s haul to £135million.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The horrors of the pandemic might be subsiding but like infection, undead firms continue to pose a risk to PSC owners.

Written by Adam Home
Summary

We hope the Labour leader joins both us and the many supporters of the mis-sold to resolve this abject tax injustice -- once and for all.

Written by Steve Packham
Summary

The chancellor not choosing a date is signalling to advisers that his Red Book may be deferred until Spring 2022.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Agents and candidates agree they’ve never seen anything like it, as employers ‘scream out’ for talent.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The Labour leader takes the initiative by committing to have his shadow Treasury ministers scrutinise the much-disliked HMRC policy.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The contractor-friendly lender has outdone itself with the lowest, LOWEST mortgage rate -- ever.

Written by John Yerou
Summary

The taxman, the ultimate setter of deadlines, embarrassingly misses the cut-off to overturn a tribunal’s outside IR35 judgment.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Statement of Works users on official alert to ‘make sure you’re applying the rules correctly.’

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Despite officials starting to realise that tech is smarter, a digital system is unlikely to be ready by September 1st.

Written by Keith Rosser
Summary

More of the same, some of the new and a fair dose of ‘we told you so?’ It’s all part of today’s ‘pick and choose’ IT contractor jobs market.

Written by Matt Collingwood
Summary

Home Office signals digital concession has had its time, ahead of an online demo by 50 disagreeing employers.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Agency bosses: It’s not all about rates, but the pay picture for contractors has definitely now changed.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Some Olympic-style results are emerging from HMRC’s off-payroll game – but the public sector won’t win any medals for IR35 compliance.

Written by Kate Cottrell
Summary

An influential Tory backbench committee chair adds his name to a new cross-party plea to quash the loan charge.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Contractor umbrella companies say the union has got it wrong, again, although all agree ‘bad apples’ must be weeded out.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

It’s nice to think lenders are watching the courts for direction on their customers’ status. Shame they aren’t.

Written by John Yerou
Summary

Five fouls contractors would be wise to avoid committing, to up their game and keep agents on side.

Written by Natalie Bowers
Summary

Covid may be passing, but the traps laid at almost every step of going forward for your next contract remain ready to ensnare.

Written by Keith Rosser
Summary

Alongside ‘supply and demand,’ another dynamic is dominating the contractor labour market -- ‘cause and effect,’ ever since April 6th.

Written by James Hallahan
Summary

Different roles require different approaches – and different documents, from your ‘off-payroll-ready’ portfolio.

Written by Matt Craven
Summary

It applies to individuals not companies, but Breathing Space looks set to do a brisk business.

Written by Mark Davies
Summary

CEST puts it at 56%; we put it at 72%. But the chunk of not caught rules is as low as 26%. And some job ads carry no status whatsoever.

Written by Matt Fryer
Summary

Peer accuses the Revenue’s top officer of being the disliked Biblical tax collector, notorious for washing his hands of a grave decision.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The self-employed for once are the more straightforward applicants, not putting client HR managers at risk of jail time.

Written by Laura Darnley
Summary

Judge signals taxpayer ignorance of tax law is definitely an excuse, where that ignorance came from the tax authority.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Despite a long list of ways to apparently reduce your tax fine, the room for manoeuvre is actually very small.

Written by Carolyn Walsh
Summary

Five underhand tactics to beware when contractor recruitment agencies go bad.

Written by Natalie Bowers
Summary

PM’s sympathy for loan charge contractors isn’t enough for 76 MPs pressing for 'fair resolution.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The tech recruiter says a contractor hiring increase of 17% comes despite off-payroll 'concerns.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The strange, ‘complex’ case of the contractor outside IR35, put inside IR35; who disagreed, only to rubbish a sub clause which a judge backed.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

June saw more appetite for temporary techies than at any time in the last 23 years, but ‘unpredictability’ looms.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

'Juicy fines' tipped to bite contractors’ agencies and umbrellas breaching April’s KID requirement.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Physical Right to Work checks are the stuff of a bygone age. Government must keep them digital from September 1st.

Written by Keith Rosser
Summary

The April rules have helped bring the UK’s supply chains to crisis point, says the RHA.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Experts say a genuine right to send another in your place still proves self-employment, albeit not in isolation.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The taxman likes killing two birds with one stone, so beware your furlough probe turning into an IR35 investigation.

Written by Kate Cottrell
Summary

‘Fractured’ situation hits agency temps, as tribunals are left to sort out who is owed what and who was a ‘worker’ when.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Thankfully the European Commission has added the UK to an elite club -- no major surprise, yet it was touch-and-go for a bit.

Written by Komal Shemar
Summary

The sheer weight of CJRS interventions could be seized upon to keep denying directors help, fears Forgotten Ltd.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Even by the taxman’s own figures, Check Employment Status for Tax is still not fit for purpose -- advisers.

Written by Simon Moore
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Taxman forced to reveal that at just a little over its halfway point, his IR35 tool swallowed a lot -- almost £2million.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Pandemic or not, either your limited company’s distribution to yourself was due or it wasn’t.

Written by Gareth Wilcox
Summary

The pandemic is sharpening the double-edged sword of work that can be done anywhere, ‘potentially cheaper’ and by the ‘equally skilled.’

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Offshore teams and tech have come on enormously, yet nimble IT contractors needn’t be fazed.

Written by Alan Watts
Summary

Studies, surveys and snapshots? Keep ‘em coming. But three channels will provide the real answer – and soon.

Written by Kate Cottrell
Summary

Why that covid-19 cash injection your company got could have rendered your dividend illegal.

Written by Daniel Mepham
Summary

The government postponing the return of physical checks for the second time bodes well for a 'permanent digital solution.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Don’t let long wait times at the Revenue put you off – start today, says the LITRG.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Stats indicate departments have more B2B openings than pre-reform. All the signs suggest companies will follow suit.

Written by Andy Robinson
Summary

Umbrella director gets off with a year’s disqualification for every month he channelled out an unsubstantiated £37million.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Get your client’s view of things, and get it early, regardless of which set of off-payroll rules affect you.

Written by Kate Cottrell
Summary

It’s not business-as-usual. But limited company contracting is far from on its knees.

Written by Seb Maley
Summary

A Nationwide IT contractor who worked as a project manager falls short by 'fine margins.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

‘Client put me outside IR35 -- I’m alright Jack.’ But are you, really?

Written by Kate Cottrell
Summary

A Single Enforcement Body is welcomed, but not unreservedly and with qualms over when.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Contractors are shoulder to shoulder with staff when it comes to the grounds to refuse extending their arms.

Written by Hannah Morrison
Summary

At least two reliefs from stamp duty could help keep the inevitable post-holiday blues at bay.

Written by Andrew Constable
Summary

Not since May 1998 has appetite for technology skills on a temp basis been so 'huge.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Two studies put one in three contractors as not caught by the ‘damning’ April 6th rules.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Taxman accused of 'doing all he can to hold on to people’s money, in defiance of Morse.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

A multi-million pound worker compensation bill could compel droves of employers – and self-employed individuals – to act.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The Guardian asks to hear from the excluded; The Times ‘misses the elephant in the room’ and The Sun is seen as a warning.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Ideas to regulate brollies are flowing thick and fast, with many saying the ultimate solution rests with end-users.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Respected advisory firm’s ‘reform can be managed’ comment positioned to MPs as proof off-payroll reform is being welcomed.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

MVL, dormancy, striking off. Don’t say you haven’t got options in the post-IR35 reform world.

Written by WTT Legal
Summary

Signs the government is potentially open to acting against brollies indicates 'all is not lost.'

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

HMT has an opportunity to provide much-needed clarity and reassurance to the contractor sector.

Written by Joanne Harris
Summary

Almost ten well-established contractor sector businesses say they’d sign their names to the Poyser-Seeley Harris plan.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Your mate down the pub who closed his company and run will be hoping he didn’t do so in the last three years.

Written by Gareth Wilcox
Summary

International travel transferring from illegal to a three-tier system, with colours, looks appealing. But appearances can be deceptive.

Written by Kevin Austin
Summary

Except for technical-types typically sole trading, contractors are glum about their business, more so than about the economy -- IPSE.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

The government must use its June RTW review to bring the UK’s outdated employing process into the 21st century.

Written by Lucy Smith
Summary

Taxman ‘buckles down’ on a suspected CJRS rip-off and in the same loop, an alleged multi-million-pound scam.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Agents back an 11th hour extension, but say virtual checks are so much better they should be here to stay.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

An audit, of sorts, to work out how 48,000 mini umbrellas have sprung up so quickly begins.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Last night’s story of 'Britain’s Ghost Companies' should compel the taxman to take no more of this pernicious fraud.

Written by Carolyn Walsh
Summary

Emails released under FoI rules confirm HMRC’s failure to alter its approach is its failure to achieve resolution. And it’s a failure signed off at the very top.

Written by Thomas Wallace
Summary

The taxman is trying to blow the whistle on the Match of the Day presenter, but experts say he’s got an open goal -- his brand.

Written by Simon Moore
Summary

Clients. Agencies. Umbrellas, accountants, and even us IR35 ‘experts.’ Just like contractors, we’ve all got off-payroll angst.

Written by Kate Cottrell
Summary

A steep learning curve with turbulence, challenge and worry has defined the last four weeks.

Summary

When the ‘good news for the self-employed’ in The Times isn’t quite what it seems.

Written by John Yerou