Roger Sinclair

Roger Sinclair at egos is a legal advisor, and has specialised for decades in the legal needs, both of freelancers themselves, and of those providing services to/for freelancers.

www.linkedin.com/in/roger-sinclair-9259a

Umbrella company winding-up petitions in 2026: the practical guide for contractors

SmartPay Ltd, Contractor Umbrella Ltd and Agency PAYE Ltd have all had winding-up petitions filed against them since May 2026 — with Contractor Umbrella now confirming an 'orderly wind-down.' Legal expert Roger Sinclair explains the crucial difference between a petition and an order, and sets out four practical steps contractors should take if their own umbrella company gets petitioned by HMRC.

29th July, 2026 | Umbrella Companies

Why JSL indemnity clauses putting umbrella contractors on the hook could be a PR disaster

Indemnity clauses specifying that contractors will share any Joint & Several Liability costs to HMRC from April 2026 could backfire for agencies — and may not even work.

11th December, 2025

Under JSL, agencies are ‘umbrella companies’ if no brollies are present

Contrary to dangerous assumptions, it’s end-clients who face joint and several liability for agency contractors’ PAYE/NIC debts, unless an umbrella company is involved.

5th August, 2025

What’s in store for the UK contractor industry, as L-Day looms large?

All supply chain parties are bracing themselves for Finance Bill 2026, the ERB, and JSL legislation for umbrella companies.

15th July, 2025

Can I invoice before the start of a contract?

Legal aid for when onboarding becomes such a ‘full-time’ commitment that it makes you want to charge.

3rd July, 2025 | Guide to Contracts

Why the ‘fired techie who asked to WFH to sort his gardeners’-case is about so much more

Although the truth isn’t getting in the way of a good LinkedIn post, there are genuine lessons to learn from IT director Ben Wicken v Akita Systems Ltd.

10th June, 2025

Is an unpaid umbrella company required to pay contractors?

As two brollies got told this month, an umbrella company must still pay its contractors even when it is out of pocket.

26th November, 2024 | Umbrella Companies

What is the Elective Deduction Model (EDM)?

A dispassionate look into the arrangement at the centre of a heated, public disagreement on LinkedIn.

6th December, 2023

IR35 is the elephant in the room in Plastic Omnium versus Horton

A program manager who wanted to be an employee, or if not a worker (but has been ruled as neither), might turn HMRC’s head.

14th July, 2023

What contractors cannot do without in their written contract

How to approach your staple document as a supplier; why the small print matters, and when to push back.

19th June, 2023 | Guide to Contracts

What are the Conduct Regulations?

An explainer of the 2003 rules, in force to govern agencies and protect all who use them -- including contractors.

16th March, 2022 | Guide To Agencies

Does my contract need to be in writing?

Why words are wisest to take care of the three Cs – Complexity, Certainty, Coverage.

1st March, 2022 | Guide to Contracts

How do I charge a monthly retainer? 5 tips for contractors

How to charge clients a retainer, while factoring in scope, documents and IR35.

18th February, 2022 | Guide to Contracts

Contractors' Questions: Can my agency legally hike payment terms from 7 to 28 days?

When saying ‘no’ is feasible, contractually, but inviting of unknowns, risk, and repercussions.

4th June, 2020 | Guide to Contracts

Contractors’ Questions: Is the agency’s Covid-19 cashflow issue a valid reason not to pay me?

'Opting out hardly helps to get paid for time worked. But the real wrongdoing is with your recruiter.'

20th April, 2020 | Coronavirus