Public sector nurses and social workers who have been encouraged by recruitment agencies to take their wages through suspected tax avoidance schemes are now in debt of tens of thousands of pounds following HMRC investigations.Employment agencies have been taking business from rivals by allowing workers to be paid through umbrella companies offering between an 80-90% take home pay.These tax schemes, which are usually registered in places like the Isle of Man or Malta, attract workers due … [Read more...]
To Prefer or not To Prefer…. That is the question
Whilst many Recruitment Agencies utilise a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) of umbrella companies and contractor accountants, how sure can stakeholders of an agency be that this is being enforced by their workforce?Unfortunately, not everyone plays fair and with the introduction of various pieces of legislation in the past few years, the need for an agency and its directors to protect itself has never been greater. The new Criminal Finance Act especially includes the corporate offence which … [Read more...]
Your Provider May Giveth but HMRC May Taketh Away!
Only last week we heard that several recruitment consultants had received tax demands from HMRC relating to unpaid tax on incentive payments received from one or more umbrella companies. If recruitment agency staff accept monies, vouchers and other types of benefit from umbrella providers, they should be declaring this as taxable income.The Government is taking this issue seriously and the actions being taken within the next two years will highlight not just taxation but also the UK’s … [Read more...]
Lorry drivers stung over accounting firm ‘tax dodge’
This article is damning to all those agencies and workers using non-compliant providers. Whether it be an umbrella company promising 90% take home pay or and MSC offering the same, it's too good to be true and you are running a huge risk.Compliant providers will apportion the correct PAYE deductions, won't provide ridiculous referral fees to consultants and will act in accordance with HMRC. With Debt Transfer and the new Finance Act, dealing with a compliant payroll provider is … [Read more...]
Are you and your business ready for the Criminal Finances Act 2017?
With so much red tape and other recent changes to IR35 passing your desk, you can be forgiven for taking little notice of this legislation passed by Parliament last April. An introduction date of 30th September means that action may need to be taken to ensure you remain compliant.The Government believes that relevant bodies should be criminally liable where they fail to prevent those who act for, or on their behalf from criminally facilitating tax evasion.Here is a link to the draft … [Read more...]
HMRC winning majority of tax avoidance cases
One of the three cases lost by HMRC concerned InvestecHM Revenue & Customs lost just three of the 26 tax avoidance cases heard in 2016/17, data from the Government department shows.A list of litigation decisions that involved tax avoidance on the HMRC website shows that there was also one mixed decision – concerning brewer Greene King – where the outcome was found partially in favour of HMRC.The three cases it lost concerned Investec, Project Blue, which is a subsidiary 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...]
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...]
HMRC, are the gloves off? Is there a storm brewing?
Offshore scheme users face requirement to notify HMRC. Contractors can have their say on their incoming requirement to notify the taxman if they use an offshore structure with evasion “characteristics” which its creator failed to declare.Under proposals published last week, the parties behind such “complex offshore arrangements” structures must inform them to HMRC and provide a list of clients using it.But if the creator (or promoter) fails to declare the arrangements -- which the … [Read more...]