IR35 Forum: contractors see little progress as HMRC stonewalls over IR35 statistics
Contractors saw little progress made in the IR35 Forum in April, as HMRC continues to refuse to publish highly relevant IR35 statistics.
Contractors and the 2013 Budget: IR35 and GAAR, a major upheaval or damp squib?
Contractors may be facing major changes with the introduction of GAAR and amends to IR35 rules. Or the 2013 Budget may turn out to be a damp squib.
Contractors may see HMRC IR35 reviews quadruple within a year, warns IR35 expert
Contractors may see HMRC’s IR35 compliance unit grow capacity to over 1,000 IR35 reviews each year, warns IR35 expert Andy Vessey of Qdos Consulting.
Contractors targeted incorrectly by HMRC’s business entity tests, reveals IR35 survey
Contractors face unnecessary IR35 reviews because HMRC’s business entity tests are flawed, confirms a 10k contractor survey by ContractorCalculator.
HMRC IR35 unit actively targeting public sector contractors and interims
HMRC’s IR35 unit is actively targeting contractors and interims working in the public sector, according to Andy Vessey of Qdos Consulting.
HMRC forecasts 230 IR35 cases by March 2013: latest IR35 Forum minutes
HMRC predicts that by March 2013 it will have investigated 230 IR35 cases, according to the minutes of the January 2013 IR35 Forum.
IR35 office holder changes: very few contractors will be affected
Most contractors will be unaffected by the changes that will bring office holders inside IR35, confirms Roger Sinclair of Egos.
Covering letters persuading clients to sign an IR35 confirmation of arrangements
Contractors facing challenges securing a signed confirmation of arrangements from a client may find a well-structured covering letter does the job.
IR35 legislation changed to remove exemption of contractors working as office holders
Contractors performing ‘office holder’ assignments are set to lose their exemption from IR35 from April 2013 according to the draft Finance Bill 2013.
HMRC has only issued 193 IR35 letters to contractors since 1 April
ContractorCalculator has obtained evidence via a Freedom of Information request that HMRC has only opened 193 IR35 investigations since 1 April 2012.
Contractors able to substitute are outside IR35 confirms UK Mail Ltd v Creasey ruling
The UK Mail Ltd v Creasey ruling appears to confirm that contractors who have the unfettered right to substitute in contracts are outside IR35.
Media & entertainment contractors facing new employment status tests from April 2013
Contractors in the media and entertainment sectors may be facing new employment status tests from April 2013 as the BBC and HMRC work on new guidance.
Contractor guide on when IR35 will apply to overseas contracts
Contractors domiciled in the UK and working on overseas contracts will find that it still applies in most cases.
Public sector contractors will need proof of IR35 status to avoid HMRC inspection
Contractors working on public sector assignments can avoid an IR35 review by proving they are outside IR35, HMRC and HM Treasury officials tell APSCo.
Contractors’ use of personal service companies “staggeringly inappropriate”, says MP
Contractors are again accused of tax avoidance, following a report by MPs branding personal service company use in the public sector as inappropriate.
IR35 compliance letters – contractor guidance on how to respond
Contractors receiving a new-style compliance letter from HMRC should only respond after seeking expert help.
Contractor guidance on HMRC’s risk-based approach to IR35 & the business entity tests
You can use HMRC’s business entity tests to gauge your risk, which could lead to 3 years of free contracting.
Contractors face at least two years of the current business entity tests: IR35 Forum
Contractors may be facing two years of the business entity tests in current form, not one as originally planned, reveals the latest IR35 Forum minutes.
IR35 reviews by HMRC: how they work
Undergoing a review by HMRC means facing a long, stressful investigation process.
Contractors may have more client clarity and less IR35 risk after Autoclenz ruling
Contractors may find that, post-Autoclenz, clients work harder to justify why they’ve been hired, Professor Pat Leighton tells ContractorCalculator.
IR35 compliance letters are out: affected contractors urged to seek expert advice
Contractors receiving HMRC’s IR35 compliance letters should not panic and instead seek expert professional advice, says Qdos Consulting’s Seb Maley.
Off payroll and controlling person rules threaten UK turnaround, warns interim body
New rules will hamper interim management contractors’ efforts to turn around ailing private & public sector organisations, says IIM’s Ad van der Rest.
No certainty from HMRC’s new IR35 framework, but the policy debate must be sustained
No certainty for limited company contractors yet, but the policy debate is far from over, say OTS Tax Director John Whiting and PCG’s Simon McVicker.
“Keep calm and contract on”, IR35 experts tell contractors following HMRC’s new tests
It’s IR35 business as usual for contractors – IR35 experts Andy Vessey of Qdos and Kate Cottrell of Bauer & Cottrell respond to the new HMRC tests.
Contractor guidance on HMRC’s six IR35 example scenarios
You can use HMRC’s six example scenarios to help you decide whether it is likely to apply to your current contract.
IR35 Business Entity Test for contractors – process and questions
You can help determine your level of risk by taking HMRC’s business entity tests, answering 12 questions about your business.
IR35 to be reinforced with PSC anti-avoidance measures from 2013
Contractors face new personal service company anti-avoidance measures in the 2013 Finance Bill according to the 2012 Budget.
IR35 risk profiles likely to be the future of HMRC compliance campaign
IR35 risk profiles are likely to be the drivers of HMRC’s IR35 compliance campaign, once the full results of the IR35 Forum’s work are revealed.
Limited company contractor witch-hunt threatens local authority brain drain
A BBC FOI request has extended the limited company contractor witch-hunt to local authorities, potentially widening the public sector brain drain.
What is a disguised employee?
Limited company contractors will find themselves labelled as ‘disguised employees’ and caught if they pass the tests of employment.