Ipse - on the budget

[seeourbee]

Will not be renewing my IPSE membership this year. Their weakness and ineffectiveness in representing Contractors is now apparent.

Waste of time.

[Lockhouse]

Will not be renewing my IPSE membership this year. Their weakness and ineffectiveness in representing Contractors is now apparent.

Waste of time.

It's slightly less expensive than the insurance I'd have to pay otherwise I'd join you.

[ZARDOZ]

Remember when the artists formally know as the PCG said they had assurances that the Tories would scrap IR35? How wrong can one organisation be?

[MercladUK]

Unfortunately many people associated with IPSE think they mean something to the Government.

Sorry to say but very very innefective.

[malvolio]

Unfortunately many people associated with IPSE think they mean something to the Government.

Sorry to say but very very innefective.

Wrong, but hey...

The real problem is HMRC defying or selectively reinterpreting what HMT is asking them to do, and then royally f***ing up the implementation by being deliberately useless at drafting effective legislation. It's all very well saying that "real businesses" are out of scope, but if you don't then clearly define a "real business", or even give some kind of hint as to what one is, then what is the point?

On the wider issue, HMG has to find around £18bn of savings a year for four years. So we are going to be paying more; where does it say we are exempt from tax increases? Everybody's tax just went up. We're still among the highest paid workers and we still have a significant tax advantage over any permie.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Wrong, but hey...

The real problem is HMRC defying or selectively reinterpreting what HMT is asking them to do, and then royally f***ing up the implementation by being deliberately useless at drafting effective legislation. It's all very well saying that "real businesses" are out of scope, but if you don't then clearly define a "real business", or even give some kind of hint as to what one is, then what is the point?

On the wider issue, HMG has to find around £18bn of savings a year for four years. So we are going to be paying more; where does it say we are exempt from tax increases? Everybody's tax just went up. We're still among the highest paid workers and we still have a significant tax advantage over any permie.

That's a very broad generalisation. IT is not the only freelancing/contracting community out there. The new tax has just made the idea of locum pharmacy completely pointless and in real take home pay terms (let alone the added benefits) made perm pharmacy the better option.

The gap has been heavily narrowed between perm and freelance on our side.

Having said all that I wonder if it is a coincidence that I just got contacted about 2 roles paying 10% more than anything I have seen.

[AtW]

Couldn't see any mention on FSB website when I looked earlier. Will have another look when I get home.

That FSB ???

[AtW]

Budget 2015 live - IoD reaction

IoD - no mention of either dividends or expenses.

No mention of dividends????

FFS!!!

[SueEllen]

Will not be renewing my IPSE membership this year. Their weakness and ineffectiveness in representing Contractors is now apparent.

Waste of time.

My membership is mainly for the benefits e.g. insurance.

I honesty don't expect any organisation to lobby effectively against the government.

However organisations can and sometimes do show a government policy has unintended consequences that make it ineffective. Though it helps if you can get the media on your side.....

[mudskipper]

My membership is mainly for the benefits e.g. insurance.

I honesty don't expect any organisation to lobby effectively against the government.

However organisations can and sometimes do show a government policy has unintended consequences that make it ineffective. Though it helps if you can get the media on your side.....

This is my view. IPSE are invited to working parties and to participate in consultations, so they've got more chance of being able to make the case for contractors, and in doing so have the opportunity to highlight consequences that haven't been considered, or point out the impact of various policy proposals on the independent workforce. Whether HMG/HMRC take that on board or choose to ignore it is likely to be beyond their control, although their views are more likely to be taken on board if they're seen as helpful rather than obstructive.

FWIW, whilst I'm not overjoyed at paying more tax, I think it was inevitable. If that was it, then I wouldn't be too unhappy, but it seems to be a starter for 10. What I see as much more of a threat is the expenses consultation, the IR35 review and the fact that this divvy tax, once in place, can be increased at will.