Churchill Knight & Associates Ltd, an established contractor accountant with 25 years of experience in the sector, has launched a pay-per-access MSC Support Platform. The online tool has been built to support contractors with a limited company who have been accused of operating a Managed Service Company (MSC) during the 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 tax years. As Churchill Knight has been supporting their clients from the beginning, the MSC Support Platform is designed to help those who feel isolated and unconfident regarding the MSC investigation and the best courses of action ahead. Keep reading for more information.
Last year (2022), HMRC sent letters to over a thousand contractors it considered to be operating Managed Service Companies (MSC) during the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 tax years. In a move that targeted a small handful of high-profile accountants, HMRC’s actions shocked the entire sector, and the implications of the investigation could have knock-on effects, which will devastate hundreds of similar accountants and potentially tens of thousands of contractors with a personal service company (PSC).
Churchill Knight & Associates Ltd, a specialist contractor accountant with over 20 years of experience, has been supporting its clients since the moment HMRC first sent a letter to one of their clients. Now, the accountant has created an MSC Support Platform to help those who have not received the same level of support from their accountant (non-Churchill Knight clients).
Having been accused of operating as a Managed Service Company Provider (MSCP) (making client companies Managed Service Companies in the eyes of HMRC), Churchill Knight officially responded with a statement on their website. A director said (April 2022):
“We believe that HMRC has entirely misinterpreted the MSC legislation, and we strongly deny being involved with our accountancy clients as a Managed Service Company Provider. Throughout this investigation, we’re offering around the clock support to our impacted clients and have built an online portal to help them throughout the appeals process.
Everyone at Churchill Knight is shocked about this investigation, but I don’t feel like it’s an attack on us. It’s an attack on the industry and on contractors who operate their own limited company.”
An online tool to help contractors “deserted during these challenging times”
In a recent Q&A-style article on IT Contracting, John Payne, founder and a partner at Churchill Knight, said the following about the MSC Support Platform:
“To put it simply, the MSC Support Platform is a combination of helpful resources to help anyone impacted by HMRC and Managed Service Company legislation. Churchill Knight has built a similar system for our impacted clients and the general feedback has been extremely positive. Therefore, we thought it would be an excellent idea to create a similar platform for those who have been essentially deserted during these challenging times.”
The MSC Support Platform – what is included?
Created by Churchill Knight & Associates Ltd, the MSC Support Platform is “a system designed to provide everyone impacted by the MSC investigation (non-Churchill clients) with all the information they need to move forward with complete knowledge and confidence for a low, one-off cost.”
By registering to the MSC Support Platform, contractors will have access to:
- Ongoing Support via a dedicated contact feature on the portal. This will allow users to send messages directly to the Churchill Knight team, who can advise accordingly. There is no limit to how often you can contact Churchill Knight, and users should receive responses within 24 to 48 hours.
- The MSC Support Platform also features a private forum where users can interact with each other to discuss the investigation and appropriate courses of action. The forum is likely to be one of the most valuable features of the MSC Support Platform, but it relies on a decent number of registrations to the online tool.
- There are dozens of FAQs included on the platform, which address several areas, including MSC legislation itself, appealing, progress, and historical MSC investigations and the outcomes. Churchill Knight has said they will add new FAQs as they arise.
- Churchill Knight has been keeping their clients updated with developments throughout HMRC’s MSC investigation, and the important news is available to those who register to the MSC Support Platform. New updates will be posted accordingly as and when developments occur.
- The Churchill Knight team has successfully helped a handful of clients get removed from the investigation in regards to Section 61B(1) (a) and 61B(1) (b) ITEPA 2003. More information is available for portal registrants and the course of action required to challenge HMRC.
How much is it to join the MSC Support Platform?
To join the MSC Support Platform, there is a one-off cost of £700 + VAT. Once payment has been made via the online form, users will receive login information within 48 hours.
Find out more about the MSC Support Platform
The MSC Support Platform is live, and contractors can join now and get up to speed with the latest news about the investigation and access to a support channel run by Churchill Knight.
For more information, please click here. To contact Churchill Knight about the MSC Support Platform, you can email them at mscsupport@churchill-knight.co.uk.
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