The HMRC ahead of the 2021 IR35 roll-out, republished two 2017 research studies that investigated the effects of the payroll working rule in the public sector on education sites and employment agencies. In 2021 the HMRC commissioned IFF Research and Frontier Economics to gather evidence of longer-term effects of the off-payroll working reform implemented in the public sector in 2017. Findings for both reports combined were gathered from 51 quantitative and 40 qualitative interviews. … [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...]
Tax avoidance, what’s the latest?
Back in April, we posted a blog surrounding NHS workers being targeted by tax avoidance promoters and it does not stop there.News surrounding tax avoidance schemes are still circulating outside of the NHS services. HMRC have shared information surrounding the schemes and what to look out for. Information can be found hereMost umbrella companies are compliant with tax rules. However, there are some promoters of tax avoidance schemes using comparison and broker websites, as well as direct … [Read more...]
HMRC Tackling Construction Industry Scheme Abuse
HMRC have launched a consultation concerning ways to tackle abuse of the construction industry scheme.The consultation seeks views on changes to the rules to prevent tax loss from the CIS. HMRC will have the power to correct the CIS deduction amounts claimed by sub-contractors on their Real Time Information (RTI) Employer Payment Summary (EPS) returns and seeks views on the implementation process.The 10 week consultation started on the 19th March and will conclude on the 28th May … [Read more...]
Are British workers thriving, striving, or just about surviving?
The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) has published the results of a study it has carried out into self-employment. Entitled "7 portraits of modern work in the UK", it takes a close look at different segments of self-employment and pulls together the main concerns expressed by the workers surveyed. Below is the RSA's blog about the report, followed by a link to the report itself.We set out to find out how workers are faring both in terms of their experiences of economic security and the quality of … [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...]
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...]
NHS IT agency foresees PSCs moving to brollies
Contractors who supply the NHS through limited companies will likely move to umbrella companies before April’s IR35 reform comes into force, a health service IT recruiter predicts.Contractors’ next best alternative is to leave the public sector or the NHS for the private sector instead, says Don Tomlinson, managing director of NHS IT staffing firm max20.Tomlinson sounded aware that contractors who don’t act before April will have a third option -- stay as a limited company and accept the … [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...]