The latest news affecting umbrella companies in the UK. Featuring HMRC, the Agency Workers Directive, the 2003 Agency Regulations, and IR35.
Umbrella company contractors may be interested to learn that the government has confirmed that it has no plans to make any changes to the Agency Workers Directive that came into force on October 1st.
Recruiters must fully understand AWR requirements, says REC » Read the full story
The PCG recently surveyed the freelance marketplace and discovered that there are currently around 1.4 million contractors in the UK; 41% or 574,000 of them are IT contractors.
41% of all the UK contractors work in IT! » Read the full story
Umbrella company contractors working in the banking sector may be distressed to learn that RBS has made across the board cuts of 10% in their IT contractor rates.
RBS IT contractors face 10% cut to their hourly rate » Read the full story
Umbrella company contractors might be interested to hear the REC’s opinion on the latest unemployment statistics.
REC calls for NIC holiday for firms taking on young workers » Read the full story
Umbrella company contractors will be pleased to learn that despite the global economic turmoil, their rates have managed to increase.
Contractors average hourly rates increase slightly » Read the full story
Contractors, including those working through an umbrella company, may be interested to learn that the IR35 Forum is starting to make real progress.
Progress at last from the IR35 Forum » Read the full story
UK limited company contractors may want to seek the advice of an accountant now that the coalition has struck a deal with the Swiss government in a bid to win the battle against offshore tax evasion.
Umbrella contractors need to get their tax affairs in order » Read the full story
IT contractors working through an umbrella company might be set to benefit from a new round of government investment.
IT contractors could benefit from government investment » Read the full story
The Cranfield School of Management thinks the implementation of AWR will cause small business owners to think more carefully about using workers from umbrella companies.
Will umbrella companies suffer from AWR? » Read the full story
Umbrella contractors may be interested to learn that the September Job Index from Reed showed falling job demand in a range of sectors. The index fell back one index point compared to the previous month, although demand is still up 16% year-on-year.
Demand drops for contractors with banking experience » Read the full story
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said recently that the government will be unable to cut taxes this parliament due to the global economic crisis.
Umbrella contractors will not get tax cuts for Christmas » Read the full story
The Bank of England says that the quantitative easing programme that was rolled out after the credit crunch boosted the UK’s economy by 2%, adding weight to demands for the Bank to print more money.
Would a second round of QE benefit the UK economy? » Read the full story
Vince Cable, the business secretary, says that the suggestion to set up a new government funded bank to lend to SMEs, would not be effective in tackling the crisis those businesses face when trying to obtain credit.
Small businesses urgently need to access credit » Read the full story
While a large number of the UK’s young people remain unemployed, there is a shortage of junior talent with experience in media and creatives, according to the chairman of Aspire Global Network.
Despite the slow growth in the UK economy, contractors such as those working through umbrella companies are doing surprisingly well, according to a new survey by the PCG.
Contractors are doing well despite the slow growing economy » Read the full story
Umbrella contractors might be interested to learn that the REC’s legal helpline has been swamped with calls from members querying the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations, which come into force today (Saturday, October 1st).
REC phone lines have been swamped with AWR calls » Read the full story
