Charging for IR35 contract reviews

[contractorsaccountant0704]

Dear Colleagues,

I am about to review my firm's charging structure and I would like to find out if anyone charges for this service. I currently do not, as it is included within the service after clients "sign up" , but I may not be doing myself any favours , commercially, by making this " free offer" as of course it takes me time to do this properly .

Your comments welcome
With thanks

[cojak]

Funnily enough I've just paid for an IR35 review.

From a contract specialist. I wouldn't trust an accountant to do this for me, even if they didn't charge.

[Clare@InTouch]

Many accountants include reviews for free these days, we do and so do many others (some depend on what "package" you choose with the firm though).

As Cojak says though, many people are happy to pay someone like Qdos or Bauer & Cotterill.

[contractorsaccountant0704]

Trust

Funnily enough I've just paid for an IR35 review.

From a contract specialist. I wouldn't trust an accountant to do this for me, even if they didn't charge.

Ok

Am I right in thinking that you have had a bad experience?
Are you a contract specialist yourself or are you saying you would only get a review from one.
if so, are the 2 ( accountant and contract specialist ) mutually exclusive?

[SueEllen]

Ok

Am I right in thinking that you have had a bad experience?
Are you a contract specialist yourself or are you saying you would only get a review from one.
if so, are the 2 ( accountant and contract specialist ) mutually exclusive?

Nothing to do with bad experiences it's to do with different professionals having different specialist skills.

So while I expect an accountant to understand the basics of IR35 and parts of contract law I don't expect them to understand the ins and outs of it.

In otherwords I go to the right expert for the correct right job.

[stek]

Ok

Am I right in thinking that you have had a bad experience?
Are you a contract specialist yourself or are you saying you would only get a review from one.
if so, are the 2 ( accountant and contract specialist ) mutually exclusive?

I feel it's a Lawyers' job, preferably one who specialises in Contract Law.

Not being disrespectful but if an Accountant can appraise a contract, so can I, especially since I have a Law Degree and I know IR35 reasonably well and I know my own working practices. I don't really feel Legal and Accounting to be the same field, so why use an Accountant?

Personally, I'd appreciate a legal bod checking my opinion, but not a Accountant to be honest.

[TheFaQQer]

Funnily enough I've just paid for an IR35 review.

From a contract specialist. I wouldn't trust an accountant to do this for me, even if they didn't charge.

Exactly this. My accountant does it for free, yet I've never asked them to do it for me. I get freebies from Qdos with my insurance policy, but if not I'd pay them to do it.

I wouldn't expect Qdos to do my accounts, so why trust my accountant to do a lawyers job?

[cojak]

Nothing to do with bad experiences it's to do with different professionals having different specialist skills.

So while I expect an accountant to understand the basics of IR35 and parts of contract law I don't expect them to understand the ins and outs of it.

In otherwords I go to the right expert for the correct right job.

WSES.

I look to my accountant to guide me through my accounts and tax liabilities.

I look to contract specialists to guide me though legal contractual due diligence.

[Jessica@WhiteFieldTax]

We do contract reviews, but its chargeable, £200 + vat. We used to do it as a free offering, but found people were using that service instead of their own due diligence.

On the lawyer v accountant issue, I always make it clear we are looking at IR35 issues not contract law, and advise clients to take legal advice on contract issues which are wider than IR35. I feel more than competent to review a contract, but in fact draw the line at actually working cases with HMRC - that I would prefer to see with a specialist.

I know others views will vary - there are, of course, no definitive answers.

[SandyD]

How many of you managed to change contract T&Cs after reviews?
In the last 4 years or so I found most of the contract from top agencies for top banking clients have the expected criteria of a B2B contracts and had no issues with them, however other agencies like Hays issues horrid contracts, they don't even want you to invoice them, just pay weekly as if you are a temp, at the time I rejected their contract but only because they pissed me off and I got something else. Not sure if many managed to change the T&Cs its usually take it or leave it.