Default retirement age expected to be scrapped
The coalition is considering scrapping the default retirement age as from October next year.
news
The latest news affecting umbrella companies in the UK. Featuring HMRC, the Agency Workers Directive, the 2003 Agency Regulations, and IR35.
Reviewing IR35 will not be a quick process warns the OTS
The REC has written to the chairman of the Office of Tax Simplification highlighting the importance of a comprehensive review of the IR35 regulations.
Contract opportunities still available for London 2012
The REC’s Technology sector group recently invited London 2012 Head of Recruitment, Paul Modley, to speak about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead during the countdown to the Olympic Games.
Travel and subsistence expenses guidelines for umbrella companies
On Tuesday the government published their proposed amendments to the travel and subsistence expenses scheme for workers receiving the National Minimum Wage.
Cable to clamp down on banks that do not lend to SMEs
SMEs and umbrella companies have been struggling to get much needed finance from the banks and Vince Cable has now put forward the government’s proposals to force the banks to make more funds available for small companies.
Recruitment for HR professionals is on the up
Robert Walters, a specialist recruitment agency, says that the HR sector is now actively looking for people with human resources and corporate responsibility skills. This should come as positive news for contractors who possess the requisite skill set.
Umbrella company contractors affected by backlog of tax claims?
We all know that HMRC has been instructed to collect as much overdue tax as possible but it might surprise you to know that it also has a significant amount of overpaid tax claims to work through.
Small businesses are feeling less than optimistic
The Voice of Small Business Index shows that confidence amongst SMEs deteriorated in the 2nd quarter of 2010.
Two interim tax experts are heading the OTS
The Office of Tax Simplification was officially established by George Osborne and David Gauke, the Exchequer Secretary, on Tuesday.
Forget about tax evasion, honesty must be the best policy
HMRC is set to increase its investigations into tax avoidance and contractors not operating via an umbrella company may wish to get advice from a specialist accountant to ensure that all their tax matters are in order.
Great month for umbrella company IT contractors
Last month saw a surge in the number of IT contractors hired according to Powerchex, the pre-employment specialist. Between May and June, the amount of employment offers made to IT contractors soared by a massive 320%.
Contractors and freelancers help employment figures
The latest employment statistics from the ONS showed a rise in the number of people who are working and this rise is in part attributable to an increase in the number of umbrella company contractors.
Confusion still reigns over Agency Workers Regulations
De Poel, the temporary procurement agency, says that industry ambassadors and the British press need to get their facts right in light of rumours that the coalition government intends to water down some of the Agency Workers Regulations.
Clamp down on intra company transfers says APSCo
APSCo has said that the government’s cap on non-EU workers is not likely to have any significant effect on the amount of IT workers coming to the UK from foreign countries.
Government cost cutting to harm contractors?
The government’s public sector spending cuts will affect everybody including IT contractors and suppliers.
Sluggish private sector recovery sparks fears in Scotland
The Scottish private sector recovery slowed down last month according to June’s purchasing managers index from the Bank of Scotland. This development could affect umbrella company contractors operating in Scotland.