Some limited company contractors have been hoping that the government’s proposal to align income tax and National Insurance would be the final nail in the coffin for IR35.
Since 2009, HMRC has sent out approximately 17 million letters to taxpayers, including umbrella company contractors. Now it has emerged that around 2,000 people have complained about the threatening tone of HMRC’s debt recovery letters.
Umbrella company contractors have the peace of mind of knowing that their income tax is deducted at source. But contractors in the UK who file their own tax returns should be aware that HMRC continues to delay sending out penalty notices despite losing recent tribunal cases.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said recently that the government will be unable to cut taxes this parliament due to the global economic crisis.
Umbrella company contractors may be interested to learn that HMRC only yielded slightly over £200,000 last year from their enquiries into the IR35 status of self-employed workers.
Umbrella company contractors and small business owners could be relieved to learn that HMRC intends to improve the level of service it supplies to taxpayers.