Good time to bug your MP

[Nitrox]

With George Osbourne's latest daft idea of shares for employment rights I though it a good time to remind MPs how flexible working can actually be achieved and sent this letter - I'd encourage others to send something similar to their MPs:

Dear MP,

George Osbourne recently floated the idea of employees swapping
employment rights for shares in a bid to promote more flexible working.
Is he aware that the UK already has a system which promotes flexible
working - the contractor or freelancer system?

Here, independent contractors have the chance to earn higher incomes by
giving up all their employment rights. Unfortunately, this system is
crippled by the IR35 regulations whereby HMRC cannot tell someone
whether they are liable for income tax but may decide to fine them tens
of thousands at a later date. Worse, when inside IR35 freelancers are
giving up their employment rights for little benefit.

If George Osbourne wishes to encourage flexible working he might best
start by scrapping the IR35 system. I hope you can raise this idea with
the appropriate people.

Yours sincerely,

[Robinho]

Why?

I don't like IR35 but it is totally fair.

In spite of how you want to dress it we are all just fixed term employees with essentially zero employment rights. I don't see why we should be able to pay less tax.

In fact i don't see why dividends should command lower tax rates anyway, they should just classify dividend tax as part of your income.

The problem is not that IR35 exists, it's that income tax is too high in the upper brackets. To the extent where if i couldn't get the tax breaks i'd just stop working after about 6 months and go on holiday for the rest of the year. Clearly such a tax is bad for the nation's productivity and as such, a bad tax.

when inside IR35 freelancers are
giving up their employment rights for little benefit.

We still earn a lot more than permies like for like. This is the benefit.

Osbourne's idea is on the right track. He should go even further though and slash large swathes of employment regulation anyway, sod the shares.

[escapeUK]

I like it, but feel there is no benefit to having a high profile with these leeches.

[hyperD]

I like it, but feel there is no benefit to having a high profile with these leeches.

WHS.

I wrote to Philip Hammond 6 years ago about IR35 and he and Mark Prisk promised to remove it.

Fat lot of good that did.

No, piano wire and lampposts are the only resource to implement change, not writing letters.

[OwlHoot]

Why?

I don't like IR35 but it is totally fair.

In spite of how you want to dress it we are all just fixed term employees with essentially zero employment rights. I don't see why we should be able to pay less tax. ...

Good grief, Sasguru is right for once - I never really noticed before, but you _are_ a complete cretin!

[Robinho]

Good grief, Sasguru is right for once - I never really noticed before, but you _are_ a complete cretin!

And like SAS you are unable to explain why. Suggesting you're the cretin.

[escapeUK]

Why?

I don't like IR35 but it is totally fair.

In spite of how you want to dress it we are all just fixed term employees with essentially zero employment rights. I don't see why we should be able to pay less tax.

Well feel free to put it all through an umbrella and pay your fair share. We arent forcing you not to, so dont force us to.

[Robinho]

What kind of post is that? I'm not forcing you to. Again i don't want to pay a ton of cash to the taxman - i'm as greedy as the next man. I just don't see why we (or any source of dividends) should get tax breaks.

I would be annoyed if they heavily clamped down on IR35, but i'm not going to run around screaming about some wild injustice if it happened.

[Sysman]

What kind of post is that? I'm not forcing you to. Again i don't want to pay a ton of cash to the taxman - i'm as greedy as the next man. I just don't see why we (or any source of dividends) should get tax breaks.

You haven't seen half your monthly invoice amount swallowed up by accommodation and travel expenses have you?

[Robinho]

You haven't seen half your monthly invoice amount swallowed up by accommodation and travel expenses have you?

What? If you're spending a lot on travel or accommodation either don't take the contract or negotiate a higher rate.

The government doesn't need to subsidise us so we can choose to work on the other side of the country.