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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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 / 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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Nov / 8
IT Contractor Wins Case Against HMRC
A professional IT consultant has defeated HMRC in an IR35 tribunal case, which has again highlighted many of the concerns surrounding IR35. Richard Alcock successfully appealed a HMRC tax bill concerning engagements entered into by his limited company, RALC Consulting Ltd, between 2010 and 2015. Alcock worked on a series of assignments with former employer
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Nov / 6
CEST Costs NHS Digital £4.3 Million
It has been reported that NHS Digital is facing a £4.3m tax bill for the period April 2017 – December 2018. The tax bill, which includes interest and penalties, was issued after HMRC investigated a large number of IR35 status assessments made using its own online assessment tool, CEST. NHS Digital’s Annual report details how
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