Despite some MPs appealing to the Government to make the £20 universal credit uplift permanent, they have announced that this will indeed be stopped.The scheme will now officially end on 6th October, however, the exact date money will stop being paid will be dependent on when someone receives their universal credit allowance.For some, this will mean the last payment they receive at the higher rate will be the end of September, only a matter of days. With this news and the announcement of … [Read more...]
PM announces rise in National Insurance tax
Boris Johnson has announced a UK-wide “health and social care levy” to support reforms of the care sector and NHS funding in England. The new scheme will start as a 1.25% rise in National Insurance from April 2022. However, then become a separate tax on earned income from April 2023.The plan was today signed off by ministers at a cabinet meeting, despite earlier disputes from Tory MPs.The PM has said the aim is to raise a total of £36 billion over the next few years for frontline … [Read more...]
Know your IR35 status
Does your payroll include self-employed workers, contractors or consultants? A small piece of legislation is set to have a large impact on businesses. Understanding your IR35 status may save you from back paying unpaid tax. From the 6th April, 2021, all public authorities and medium to large sized businesses will be responsible for deciding the employment status of workers. Failure to comply could result in hefty workers tax and National Insurance shortfalls becoming the employer’s … [Read more...]
Moving back to a trusted umbrella service from an expensive PSC provider!
Following changes for off payroll working in the Public Sector, many contractors may have found themselves assessed as working inside IR35. Many end clients do not want the hassle of deciding each individual case and so have placed a blanket ban on all contractors. Many of these contractors cease operating through their own limited company, and opt instead for umbrella employment as their agency and end client have suggested. For a contractor working inside IR35 this is usually the better … [Read more...]
U-turn on Class 4 NICs
The Chancellor, Richard Hammond, has announced a U-turn on the proposed rise in national Insurance rates for the self-employed.In the Spring Budget it was announced that as of 6th April 2018, Class 4 NICs would be increasing to 10% from the current 9% in place, with a further increase to 11% the following year.In a letter to Tory MPs, the Chancellor revealed that he has “decided not to proceed” with the planned rise in NICs for self-employed workers, despite only announcing the measure … [Read more...]
IR35 Reform of Intermediaries Legislation: Public Authorities
HMRC has published an update on it's Off-payroll working in the public sector: reform of intermediaries legislation page to include further information for public authorities. Gov.co.uk states under Public Authorities: "For the purpose of this reform, a public authority means a public authority as defined for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.This definition covers government departments and their executive agencies, many … [Read more...]
Booming gig economy is bad for UK public finances, says TUC
Low-paid self-employment and zero-hours contracts are costing more than £75m a week in lost taxes and national insurance contributions, new research indicates.The rapid rise in insecure work in the UK is costing the government almost £4bn a year in lost tax income and benefit payouts, according to new research into the gig economy by the Trades Union Congress.The UK’s growing legions of low-paid, self-employed workers and those on zero-hours contracts earn significantly less than regular … [Read more...]
HMRC off-payroll changes put recruiters in firing line
Recruiters fear “ill-conceived” changes to the rules regarding off-payroll workers will have a negative effect on the industry and could place some agencies on the wrong side of the law.Chancellor Philip Hammond announced in his Autumn Statement that the responsibility for operating IR35 off-payroll working rules and paying the correct tax will shift to the body paying the worker's company, potentially the recruitment agency.The new rules mean that when a worker provides their services … [Read more...]
The door is firmly shut
ContractorUK has recently written that “Temporary staff agencies have avoided hundreds of millions (if not billions) in tax”…………..HOW? By a scheme that far too many agencies are allowing contractors and temporary workers to register with – THIS HAS TO STOP.In simplistic terms, the scheme pairs up all the workers, and routes them through a myriad of smaller Limited Companies. Clearly, these are NOT TRUE Limited companies. These mini employment companies are ultimately exploiting both VAT … [Read more...]