Jan / 15
Companies Take ‘Official’ and ‘Unofficial’ Action on IR35
As the April deadline for rolling out IR35 to the private sector draws closer, the confusion surrounding the reformed legislation continues to grow. It’s little surprise then, that the number of businesses seeking to minimise their liability risk with blanket policy shows no sign of diminishing. In theory, the government has vetoed the use of
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Jan / 14
Off-Payroll Review Launches to Criticism
The government announced the official launch of its Off-Payroll Review on January 7th. The review follows the pre-election pledge made by Chancellor Javid in an interview with BBC’s Money Box on November 30th 2019. Although the announcement makes good on the government’s promise to address public concerns regarding this legislation, it has already received criticism
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Dec / 19
Contractors Must Act Before February Budget
Although the Conservatives were somewhat reluctant to join the other political parties in promising an IR35 review, their win will at least remove some of the uncertainty surrounding the off-payroll reforms in April next year. The landslide vote looks likely to bolster the party’s belief in its own policies, and with the new legislation ready
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Dec / 18
HSBC Tells Contractors it’s Agency PAYE or Out
HSBC contractors working through the recruitment outsource agency Resource Solutions have been told that they must go onto the agency’s payroll or leave. Resource Solutions supply contractors working within HSBC’s Global Banking and Markets (GB&M) division, which helps businesses to establish international trade relations. The correspondence, sent to all GB&M contractors, informs them that as
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Dec / 17
Social Media and IR35
Recent IR35 tribunals have demonstrated how evidence is mainly compiled from a broad range of factors relating to status test like Direction & Control, Substitution and MOO. However, as the IR35 rules struggle to interpret the complexities of modern working practices, the other key status tests, such as Part & Parcel and Being in Business
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Dec / 10
HMRC Releases New CEST Tool
HMRC has released an updated version of its CEST tool ahead of next April’s reforms. The previous tool was heavily criticised for failing to take key status tests such as ‘MOO’ and ‘Being in Business’ into consideration when determining if IR35 applied. There was also insufficient guidance notes for cases that were more complex, meaning
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Dec / 6
Parties Promise IR35 Review
The Lib Dems, Labour, the SNP, the Green Party and the Conservatives have all promised to review the roll-out of IR35 reforms to the private sector if they are elected to power. The Lib Dems were the first to include a pledge within their manifesto on the November 20th, with the Conservatives latecomers to the
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Nov / 28
Transport for London Face IR35 Tax Probe
HMRC has launched preliminary IR35 investigations into Transport for London (TfL). The public sector organisation was approached by HMRC, who asked for information about its limited company contractors. There are fears that this is another fishing exercise that could result in an outcome similar to that of NHS Digital. The public organisation is currently facing
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Nov / 25
Companies Rethink Limited Company Ban
There are signs that firms may be rethinking their ban on limited companies ahead of next April’s IR35 reforms. The example set by influential banks such as Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC has caused a number of companies to adopt a similar ‘PAYE only’ policy, with asset management firms Royal London and Northern Asset Management the
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Nov / 22
IR35 reforms to go ahead despite Budget delays
The government has confirmed that they remain committed to introducing IR35 reforms to the private sector in April 2020. While many people had hoped that the delayed budget and impending December election might stall the roll-out, HMRC are holding firm to their plans. With no final legislation on the table, there’s been growing unease in
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