limited companies and consultancies

[Target]

Hi all,

I'm currently contracting with a consultancy who have me on site with a client. Some of the people within the client know that I'm contracting, and are aware of the name of my limited company. This fact got back to the consultancy, who have now told me "DO NOT REPRESENT YOURSELF AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE PRIME CONTRACTOR ON ANY CORRESPONDANCE OR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CUSTOMER OR 3rd PARTIES"

Obviously, I can understand the request from the point of view of their business, but I'm a bit unclear on whether such a request has any impact on IR35. Any thoughts?

t

[northernladuk]

I don't see this as a problem. IR35 will look at the relationship between you and your client (the consultancy) so has nothing to do with the relationship between the consultancy (your client) and their client who your working with.

Whatever your arrangement with them contractually you are actually part of the team delivering on behalf of the consultancy and therefore I can't see an issue you with you representing your client and not yourself. Seems a reasonable request.

[NotAllThere]

I worked through a consultancy that went as far as to print us business cards in their name, and give us email addresses on their domain. Quite specifically to make us look like employees of theirs. Which looks on the face of it to have IR35 consequences. But it is the end client that counts. So it's the same as if an agency was trying to pretend it was a consultancy - which happens.

Of course, the clients become aware pdq who are employees and who are contractors. The impoverished, ugly, scruffy, fearful incompetents are the former, the rich, handsome, well-groomed, capable and independently minded are the latter.