We’re reading more and more trash online about umbrella companies and how “dodgy” and “unethical” they all are. We’re not here to mislead our readers, and some umbrella companies have acted poorly in the past and should be black-listed. However, most UK-based umbrella companies provide a valuable service that’s reliable …
Finding a good umbrella company: 10 tips for temporary workers » Read the full story
Unsurprisingly, umbrella companies are frequently subjected to complaints. After all, payroll is something that you always want to run smoothly! However, while some umbrella companies may be acting inefficiently, others are subjected to complaints that aren’t justified. This article will look at some of the most frequent complaints we’ve come …
Umbrella company complaints – what is fair, and what is fussy? » Read the full story
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has recently requested that the government bans all umbrella companies in the UK due to malpractice and “inadequate regulations”. There is no doubt that some umbrellas have acted unethically, and this has tainted the industry. However, banning all umbrella companies would be an incomprehensible over-reaction …
TUC calls for umbrella companies to be banned » Read the full story
Umbrella companies exist to process the payroll of employees, but how do they do this? This article will provide a short overview of how umbrella companies work – with an emphasis on how umbrella companies process the payroll of employees. We hope you find it useful! PAYE Pay As You …
How do umbrella companies process the payroll of employees? » Read the full story
We’ve noticed a lot of contractors moaning about their umbrella company because of pay retention. Nobody wants to lose large chunks of their income in taxes, but unfortunately, we all have to contribute to society. It’s not the umbrella company’s fault you’re inside IR35, and we’ll explain more in this …
It’s not the umbrella company’s fault you’re inside IR35! » Read the full story
We’re grateful to have some friends within the umbrella company marketplace who are well-positioned to share valuable experiences with our readers. We’re surprised to hear the number of contractors who complain to umbrella companies about their take-home pay and how other umbrella companies are quoting them more. Some temporary workers …
Greedy contractors could be fueling tax avoidance schemes » Read the full story
The government has released some guidance online designed to help contractors, freelancers and agency workers who may require the services of an umbrella company. ‘Working through an umbrella company’ is a short piece of text (estimate 5-minute read) that will help cover the basics of umbrella payroll and provides you …
Official government guidance: Working through an umbrella company » Read the full story
We recently wrote an article about the Labour Market Intermediaries report by the LITRG. The report includes some essential information on disguised remuneration, and we wanted to focus an article on this topic for the benefit of our readers. Keep reading to find out more about disguised remuneration and the associated …
A quick look at disguised remuneration » Read the full story
There has been a noticeable rise in demand for umbrella companies – especially since HMRC introduced changes to off-payroll in the public sector (IR35) in 2017. Now that similar changes are coming to the private sector, umbrella companies have never been in such high demand! If you’re new to umbrella …
Is it easy to join an umbrella company? » Read the full story
To help people cope with the pressure of the pandemic and the confusions it’s bought to the UK, HMRC has confirmed taxpayers now have until the 28 February 2021 to submit their 2019/20 tax returns – to avoid a penalty. However, it’s still advisable to meet the end of January …
Nobody wanted a third lockdown, but after the rising numbers of coronavirus cases and associated deaths, the government was left with very little choice. And, to the governments credit, they have provided several support packages for businesses and workers to help keep the impact of lockdown number three to a …
The FCSA fights for contingent workers in response to lockdown #3 » Read the full story
Our website is full of useful information to help contractors and freelancers identify the UK’s best umbrella companies. However, we haven’t dedicated an article that explains how to identify the worst umbrella companies. Therefore, we’ve collated 9 points that we think you need to be aware of. Whatever you do …
How to identify the worst umbrella companies in the marketplace » Read the full story
Throughout our website, we reiterate how important it is that contractors and freelancers only use compliant umbrella companies for their payroll. And, we frequently mention that using an FCSA accredited umbrella company is a great idea! But who is the FCSA (Freelancer & Contractor Services Association), and why are we …
Who is the FCSA, and why does FCSA accreditation mean so much to its members? » Read the full story
If you’re using an umbrella company for your payroll, or you’re considering it, you should already know what Pay as You Earn (PAYE) is. However, if you’re not, or you’d like a friendly reminder – keep reading! We’ll cover the basics. What is PAYE? Pay as You Earn, or usually …
Time and time again we hear “why is my umbrella taking so much of my money” or “my pay is too low through this umbrella, I want to find out what I can get through another one”. Sadly this is a misunderstanding, and tax avoidance schemes are to blame. They …
Your Umbrella Company Does Not Decide How Much You Are Deducted – HMRC Does » Read the full story
Changes to off-payroll in the private sector are set to roll out in April 2021. They may be a year late, but they’re coming! It’s expected that several limited company contractors may find themselves inside IR35 at some point in the future, and as a result, umbrella companies may see …
