Dave's Blog

Dave Chaplin, CEO of Contractor Calculator, started working in the City of London in 1994 and became a contractor in 1997. He has consulted for blue-chip firms including Cable & Wireless, Merrill Lynch, HSBC, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. After eight years contracting, Dave left contracting to focus full time on ContractorCalculator.

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IR35 certainty for contractors? So close and, perhaps, not so far

Contractors are very close to enjoying a potential three-year rolling’ IR35 amnesty’ if we keep our nerve and help HMRC improve its new test regime.

This week | Tue, 15 May 2012

HMRC’s IR35 choice: adult fact or kid’s fiction to test success of new business tests

HMRC could be about to retreat to its ‘happy place’, where it can rely on comforting fiction rather than hard facts on its new business entity tests.

Last month | Mon, 16 Apr 2012

HMRC is shooting for the wrong goal with its proposed new IR35 processes

HMRC’s reluctance to listen to its IR35 Forum team-mates over scorings for the new business entity tests means it’s playing a game it can only lose.

Last month | Thu, 05 Apr 2012

60% stealth tax grows disguised employment, which could damage genuine contractors

Number-crunching by ContractorCalculator has revealed the UK’s 60% stealth tax on high-earning employees, which could ultimately harm contractors.

Last March | Thu, 08 Mar 2012

Making clients responsible for policing IR35 would be a disaster for contractors

All the evidence shows that HMRC can’t effectively police IR35. But making clients responsible for enforcement would be disastrous for contractors.

Last March | Mon, 05 Mar 2012

Top rate tax and the 60% stealth tax: contractors get smart and avoid the issue

Contractors have become much more focused on tax avoidance since the top rate was introduced, resulting in falling tax revenues. That wasn’t the plan.

Last February | Mon, 27 Feb 2012

IR35, tax avoidance and Ed Lester: a potent mix threatening contractors’ livelihoods

Contractors are right to be worried by interim management contractor Ed Lester’s trial by media, because an unjustified backlash might be the result.

Last February | Fri, 03 Feb 2012

IR35 Forum: are contractors ever going to get answers?

Contractors have seen few tangible results from the IR35 Forum, and there is a worrying lack of information from HMRC about the progress made.

Last February | Thu, 02 Feb 2012

Davos 2012 was a possible paradigm shift for contracting worldwide, if not in the UK

Contractors underpin ‘talentism’ and the ‘contingent workforce’ that has been brought to the attention of the global elite at this year’s WEF in Davos

Last January | Mon, 30 Jan 2012

Contractors from abroad keep the UK highly skilled, competitive and opportunity-rich

Inward migration of contractors benefits the UK contracting sector, offers contracting clients choice and keeps our flexible workforce competitive.

Last January | Mon, 23 Jan 2012

AWR’s impact on contracting has so far been minor, but a Y2K moment could be looming

Contractors have so far remained relatively unaffected by the Agency Workers Regulations, but that could soon change, suggests a survey by APSCo.

Last January | Thu, 19 Jan 2012

Contracting and an independent Scotland might mix as well as a good malt with Irn-Bru

Scottish centres of contracting excellence in oil and gas, offshore engineering, IT and gaming could be hit by an independent Scotland.

Last January | Tue, 17 Jan 2012

Is your agency’s margin too high? Then think ‘better negotiation’, not ‘dodgy agent’

Contractors complaining that their agency is ripping them off ought to consider blaming, and upgrading, their negotiations skills.

Last December | Tue, 20 Dec 2011

HMRC asked for examples showing IR35 processes don’t work: JLJ Services is a good one

HMRC has been asking other members of the IR35 Forum for concrete examples of why IR35 processes don’t work. The JLJ Services case is a good one.

Last December | Thu, 15 Dec 2011

Contractor rate reduction déjà vu: contracting rates under threat again, ten years on

Contracting rates may be threatened, just when they’d almost recovered from the dotcom crash. But not all contractors need take the pain.

Last December | Tue, 06 Dec 2011

IR35 is not only here to stay, but HMRC’s compliance activity can only increase

Good progress by the IR35 Forum is potentially a cause for real concern by contractors, as it signals a new era of greater compliance.

Last November | Mon, 28 Nov 2011

Contractors are not quite inflation-proof, but they can choose when to take pay rises

Contractors are not immune to inflation and its impact on real pay, but they have much greater control over their income than employees.

Last November | Thu, 24 Nov 2011

How to guarantee you won’t win that next contract, and always lose the best contracts

ContractorCalculator just advertised for a new salesperson. The response was shocking & highlights the importance of doing what the contract ad asks.

Last November | Tue, 15 Nov 2011

IR35 and new FOI revelations: Where are HMRC’s missing IR35 millions?

Like characters in a detective novel, IR35, P35 and new Freedom of Information admissions reveal a mysterious tale of HMRC’s missing tax millions.

Last November | Wed, 09 Nov 2011

Limited company contractors claiming AWR rights have little chance of avoiding IR35

Limited company contractors can’t have their cake and eat it: asking for rights under the Agency Workers Regulations is asking for trouble with IR35.

Last October | Wed, 19 Oct 2011