Will Enterprise Zones work now when they failed before?
During the Conservative Party’s spring conference last weekend, George Osborne said the government planned to reintroduce Enterprise Zones.
news
The latest news affecting umbrella companies in the UK. Featuring HMRC, the Agency Workers Directive, the 2003 Agency Regulations, and IR35.
Do contractors use ISAs to save tax?
Contractors may want to take the advice of the Nationwide and use their ISA tax relief allowance for this year before it runs out.
Do HMRC provide umbrella companies with a poor service?
It will probably come as no surprise to umbrella company contractors to learn that complaints against HMRC have increased dramatically over the last couple of years.
47 tax reliefs should be axed says the OTS
The OTS has now identified 47 out of 1,042 tax reliefs that could be abolished and a further 17 that could be simplified. It’s long awaited report was published last Thursday.
Freelancers need economic stability!
The government needs to concentrate on prioritising economic stability in this month’s budget, according to the Federation of Small Businesses. A call that is also likely to be endorsed by umbrella company contractors.
Opportunities galore for IT contractors
IT umbrella company contractors should have been amongst those to benefit from an upsurge in demand for their services in recent months.
Do umbrella company contractors need language lessons?
Contractors who have been used to public sector working will need to learn private sector language if they become victims of the government spending cuts.
HMRC should rethink its Business Records Check programme
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland has claimed that HMRC’s proposals to check SME and umbrella company record keeping are flawed.
Nearly £24bn over 4 years to implement new employment laws
The next four years will see employers paying out an additional £23.87 billion due to new employment laws, according to the British Chambers of Commerce.
Do umbrella company contractors name God as a referee?
You may think God is on your side but he doesn’t give job references!
Employee sickness levels are on the rise
The latest ONS statistics show that levels of staff sickness absence have reverted to pre-recession levels. Before the economic crisis, 2.5% of respondents said they had taken a day off in the 7 days prior to the survey.
HMRC amends wording of new tax avoidance regulations
The government has confirmed that deferred bonuses will not fall under its new tough tax avoidance regulations.
Economy is improving, will business confidence follow suit?
The latest ICAEW/Grant Thornton UK Business Confidence monitor shows that business confidence is weakening but the economy is slowly improving.
Does a north/south divide affect umbrella company contractors?
There is a North-South divide when it comes to hiring intentions, according to the latest quarterly survey of entrepreneurs conducted by RSM Tenon, the professional services firm.
The end of the road for IR35?
Member companies of the REC met with the Office of Tax Simplification last week to discuss IR35. The REC was recently appointed to the OTS’ small business consultative committee. The head of public policy at the REC, Gillian Econopouly, said she was delighted that members had the opportunity to discuss IR35 directly with the OTS.
SMEs spend weeks trying to understand government regulations
The problem of the multitude of different government regulations is now so bad that businesses often breach them simply because they don’t know which rules apply to them, according to a new report from the National Audit Office.