Yet again, a new umbrella company fraud case has come to light, and it’s extremely disappointing. This time, greedy agencies are engaging with mini umbrella companies to reduce their costs, while putting their candidates at risk of non-compliance with HMRC. It’s never been more important to use a compliant umbrella …
Which umbrella companies are accredited by the FCSA and Professional Passport? » Read the full story
Mini umbrella companies have hit the news again as it’s become apparent that some dishonest and greedy recruitment agencies have engaged with them to pay their temporary candidates. Astonishingly, a BBC investigation found that mini umbrella companies were paying some Covid test centre workers. These pose a serious threat to …
Amazingly, there are over 500 umbrella companies in the UK. Therefore, there is plenty of choice for contractors and freelancers when choosing a company for their payroll. However, if you find a better deal elsewhere, or your current umbrella company is performing disappointingly, should you bother switching umbrella companies? We’ll …
Should you bother switching umbrella companies? » 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
If you take on an assignment inside IR35, you may decide that you’re better off using an umbrella company for your payroll. After all, if you’re a limited company contractor– you won’t be able to pay yourself with a combination of dividends and salary because the fee-payer will make deductions …
The Umbrella Company Checklist For Contractors Inside IR35 » 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 …
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
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
Using an umbrella company is a simple, hassle-free way to get paid as a contractor, and the majority of umbrella companies operate in a compliant fashion. Unfortunately, there are a few unscrupulous tax avoidance schemes that disguise themselves as umbrella companies, and using one of these could land you in …
The warning signs of a tax avoidance scheme » 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 …
We all like to get a return on our investments – a return that leaves us with the satisfying feeling of having received value for money. But what about umbrella companies? It’s no secret that limited company contractors who are told they’re inside IR35 are likely to see a reduction …
Are there any benefits to using an umbrella company? » Read the full story
A majority of umbrella companies are compliant, but it only takes one or two non-compliant providers to come to light to give the marketplace a bad name. Well, it’s happened again. And it’s really annoyed us. We’re not going to announce the names of the irresponsible providers that are responsible, …
A report published on the 26th November 2020 by HMRC discusses marketed tax avoidance schemes, and it makes for some fascinating reading. Entitled ‘Use of marketed tax avoidance schemes in the UK’, HMRC cover the size of the UK’s tax avoidance market, promoters of tax avoidance schemes, and what HMRC …
Whether you’re new to contracting or you’ve been doing it for donkey’s years, you’re probably keen to get an accurate indication of your take home pay before starting an assignment. And, as we’re dedicated to helping the UK’s temporary workforce understand all-things umbrella – we thought it’d be really useful …
Getting the most out of an umbrella company calculator » Read the full story
An interesting question – and one that is regularly asked online by umbrella company employees. The short answer is that it depends entirely on your personal circumstances. If your only source of income is paid to you via an umbrella company (PAYE) – you don’t need to submit a personal …
If you use an umbrella company, do you need to submit a personal tax return? » Read the full story
