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
As the countdown for off-payroll changes in the private sector draws ever closer, the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG), part of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, has released a 149-page report covering umbrella companies. The report makes for some interesting reading, and we recommend our readers take a look. …
Brexit has finally happened and the UK left the European Union at the turn of the New Year. As a result, we thought an article on How Brexit Affects Right to Work (RTW) Checks for Umbrella Companies would come in really useful. Umbrella companies are employers, and like every employer …
How Brexit Affects Right to Work (RTW) Checks for Umbrella Companies » 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 …
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 …
Changes to off-payroll in the private sector were scheduled to roll out in April 2020. However, after one of the most stressful and unpredictable years of all time, the amendments were put on hold for 12 months (Coronavirus pandemic). Despite a few rumours that the legislation changes will be postponed …
This week when speaking to a contractor, I got told: “your lot are finished, HMRC have seen to that.” Quite who my “lot” are, or how we have offended this gentleman – I don’t know. However, this did encourage me to go and do some research into what this chap …
Umbrella companies aren’t finished yet – according to HMRC » Read the full story
To put it bluntly – tax avoidance schemes are evil. They trick you into thinking paying less tax is fine and they’ll help you retain more of your hard-earned money. But what they fail to mention is the fact that if you engage with one, you’ll more than likely face …
How to spot a tax avoidance scheme, and why you should never use one » Read the full story
Under new employment legislation, recruitment agencies will present contractors and agency workers with a Key Information Document before a contract is signed or agreed. The Key Information Document will give you a realistic take home pay projection and outline the deductions you can expect to see to your pay. The …
In a week where there is clearly a dire need for umbrellas (of any colour) outside, we thought we’d turn our attention away from the never-ending will they/won’t they saga of IR35 and instead, turn our attention back to the matter of whether or not umbrella companies should be regulated. …
Should Umbrella Companies be Regulated? » Read the full story
Umbrella contractors might like to know that Danny Alexander, the chief secretary to the Treasury, has said HMRC is to strengthen the size of its team tackling tax avoidance and evasion by adding more than 2,000 additional tax inspectors this autumn.
Last week, the REC responded to the inquiry into workplace pension automatic enrolment, highlighting the challenges the reforms will pose for recruitment agencies that place temporary workers.
Contractors may be interested to learn that MPs from all the UK’s main political parties have pledged to address the false perceptions that exist around freelance contracting.
The British Chamber of Commerce recently called on the coalition to encourage sole traders to grow by making them exempt from certain legislation.
SMEs must beware the Bribery Act, according to a congress that took place in Brighton earlier this month.
IT contractors would be advised to learn some new skills if they want to help drive the green IT revolution.
