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...]
Self-employment models coming under scrutiny again
In 2014, HMRC introduced new rules designed to remove so-called false self-employment for workers engaged via intermediaries. These rules centred on ”SDC” tests designed to establish whether a worker was, or was capable of, working under supervision, direction and control. Unless an engager could evidence that no SDC (or right to) existed, PAYE/NIC would need to be applied to the worker’s earnings as though they were employeesNot surprisingly, the number of self-employed contractors working … [Read more...]
Self-employment driven by higher earners, says report
The rapid growth of self-employment in the UK has been driven more by people in higher-paid than low-paid work, according to a new report. The analysis comes from the Resolution Foundation, an economic think-tank.It says the "privileged" self-employed, with good educational qualifications and higher earnings, made up 57% of the growth in self-employment after 2009.Among them were people working in law, accountancy, health services and management consultancy.The think tank says they … [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...]
Hermes facing legal challenge from its self-employed workers
Move is being led by GMB union on behalf of couriers who believe delivery company wrongly classes them as self-employedHermes, the courier company that delivers parcels for John Lewis and Next, is facing a legal claim from workers who believe they are wrongly classed as self-employed, according to the Labour MP Frank Field.Speaking on Thursday, he said the move is being orchestrated by the GMB union. It follows a Guardian investigation that found Hermes was paying some of its couriers at … [Read more...]
Status of ‘gig’ economy workers thrown into question again
The status of workers in the ‘gig’ economy has been thrown back into the spotlight, following a ruling that a courier with logistics firm City Sprint should be classed as a worker rather than self-employed.The BBC reported late last week a tribunal classed Maggie Dewhurst, the courier in question, as a worker, and therefore should be entitled to basic rights including holiday and sick pay, and the National Living Wage.City Sprint said it was "disappointed" at the ruling and will review … [Read more...]
Do you operate within the Public Sector?
Last Monday saw the release of the HMRC’s draft finance bill, detailing the reforms as to how the IR35 legislation must be operated in the public sector from April 2017.There have been strong reactions from industry bodies to the Government’s new ‘Draft provisions for Finance Bill 2017’, nearly 400 pages of new tax legislation setting out the draft provisions for technical consultation, including changes to National Insurance contributions, clampdown on salary sacrifice contracts for new car … [Read more...]
Don’t be left in the dark about your Self-Employed Status
For many years being Self Employed meant working for yourself with no input from anyone else. Gone are the days of “cash-in-hand” as HMRC are clamping down on the whereabouts of Tax and NI for these services. If you are actively sourcing your own work for yourself and have no input from another source then you can be classed as self-employed, if however, you rely on an agency to source you this work then you are classed as employed and so will need to be PAYE or Limited status.PAYE can be … [Read more...]
Jobs of the future may not have stable hours, holiday pay, sick pay, or pensions, DWP secretary says
Damian Green describes development in the labour market as 'exciting'.Jobs of the future may not have stable hours, holiday pay, sick pay, or pensions, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said.Damian Green described the trend in employment practices towards the so-called “gig economy” as “exciting” and said the changes had “huge potential”.The Cabinet minister’s endorsement of the approach comes a month after an employment tribunal found that drivers for the Uber car service should … [Read more...]