Contracting News

Despite liability resting with umbrella companies in cases like ESL’s, it’s not open-season for you with your contractor expenses.

Excitement still surrounds HPVs, but the elitist universities’ list could put off the best, brightest, most exotic minds.

'Highly technical' court verdict against ESL makes its boss decide to bring his role with the umbrella compliance body to a close.

Posing as a contractor umbrella company, a promoter with ‘chutzpah’ joins the taxman’s blacklist.

‘Reasonable care, skill and diligence’ is required of PSCs. So don’t splurge, fail to file, or put doggie treats on expenses.

Lawyers, tax experts and accountants asked to give the ‘straight answers’ that the Treasury and taxman won’t.

Service providers were recognised last night for their efforts in supporting contractors. 

Soaring costs for organisations shone a favourable light last month on non-permanent hires.

Objections to Reg 80 determinations hit the Revenue, which can’t fix any ‘timeline’ for when it will respond to a single appeal.

Either as a business or consumer (or both), independent techies can now help shape the UK’s National Data Strategy.

The effects of Disguised Remuneration on ‘family formation, stability and breakdown’ have been the total opposite to what the taxman said they would be.

APSCo says a trio of routes for techies from abroad can’t be depended on to fill the short to medium term skills gap.

Some in the contractor sector admit to nursing a ‘few headaches’ – even before the four-day bank holiday weekend started.

With interest rate rises seeming far from over, remortgaging never looked so appealing -- even if it gives you a sting in the short-term.

The drawbacks of a new digital identity scheme will bite hardest where its potential is needed the most.

What MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have recommended; why, and when they want to hear how the taxman is getting on with implementation.

'A kaleidoscope of issues requiring a kaleidoscope of solutions,' is among the realties we tried to impress upon the UK’s DLME.

Issuing an ultimatum to walk works wonders for a contractor given umbrellas she didn’t want to use.

Pay premiums persist, even if demand for temporary techies was way ‘off its peak’ in April.

Better for the environment, worse for wellbeing? Studies on WFH increasingly say it’s exactly the opposite.

FCSA’s Chris Bryce says the furore about umbrellas withholding monies is easy to understand. The legal position; less so.

Standing back to take in the whole picture of the factual matrix is the unifying factor of numerous IR35 judgments.

Professional Passport CEO Crawford Temple on why, contrary to popular belief, regulation isn’t the best answer.

A small challenger group, or 85% of all contractor accountants? Regardless of which is proved to be the true scale, an HMRC win would have a big impact.

‘Freelance’ in many senses of the term they may be, but two HMRC-hit presenters worked very differently to IT contractors.

The Loan Charge and Taxpayer Fairness APPG wants ‘enlightening’ submissions on the HMRC policy added to by experts.

The IR35 reform-induced trend of unwilling employment? Like PSLs and holiday pay, ministers owe it to work-seekers to intervene.

Just like CVLs, insolvencies are going in the wrong direction for the recovery effort. So let’s all hope IR35 determinations continue to turn the corner.

Log-on to an accountant’s webinar on cyber-security as a PSC, now that hackers have undone a string of contractor service providers.

The Loan Charge and Taxpayer Fairness APPG is set to reveal the ‘awful situation people are in.’

Despite it being 15 years overdue, and him still not ‘cutting off the head of the snake,’ the taxman’s new blacklist is being welcomed.

The game of two halves is also a game of opinions – a bit like IR35, which another Sky Sports presenter has been defeated under.

Sympathies abound but unless the law changes, brollies get regulated, or the EASI intervenes, ‘Faustian deals’ look set to continue.

March saw temporary tech opportunities expand (again), but beware a stabilising, including in software development.

‘Just because you can doesn’t mean that you should.’ And other tax/life lessons that Akshata Murty’s status row can teach us.

Contractors who are directors are wating for the other shoe to drop. Here’s what we know so far.

Drilling down into the worrying reality that it’s now harder than ever to work on a contract basis -- courtesy of the taxman.

Out of the blue yet predictably, HMRC sends assessments to PSCs and their accountants -- as it tests ‘the floodgates.’

The April 1st launch of digital tax accounts is here. Don’t be a fool -- get clued up and compliant.

Dry as a bone is an understatement to describe the chancellor’s statement. And that’s being kind.