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IR35 Testing

Dave's Blog

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.

Dave has consulted with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs on the future of IR35 and on tax simplification. He also participates in industry-shaping roundtable events and continues to influence the next generation of contractors on successful contracting.

Recent Items
Taylor Review recommendations could make IR35 redundant, but not before big changes

The Taylor Review recommendations could spell the end for IR35, but not before the Government pushes the draconian reforms out to the private sector.

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HMRC claim IR35 tool hits targets despite FOI revealing no data is held to back claim

In one letter to us HMRC claims the tool hits certainty targets of 80%-90%. Yet in an FOI response they claim no such data is held. Cover up?

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HMRC’s ad hominem attacks to defend its failed IR35 tool are disturbing

HMRC’s attack on ContractorCalculator for criticising its tool shows weakness, but also poses concerns about the taxman’s attitude towards IR35.

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10 reasons why the public sector IR35 reforms have been a farce

From its proposal to its implementation, HMRC’s management of the public sector IR35 reforms has been a complete shambles. Here are ten reasons why.

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HMRC’s IR35 tool creates more chaos as contractor clients and agencies lose trust

Contractors are abandoning the public sector, decimating projects as clients and agencies lose trust in HMRC’s flawed IR35 tool. Find out why.

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Are public sector contractors to have their La-La Land moment with the IR35 reforms?

HMRC’s IR35 tool indicates that either it's not working, or it’s not fit for purpose. A La-La Land moment for public sector contractors?

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IR35 is here for the long-haul, suggests Government report

IR35 looks to be staying for years to come after a BEIS review indicated changes to the employment status framework would take years of planning.

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HMRC’s new IR35 guidance implies simplicity where there is chaos

HMRC’s latest guidance seems to suggest that adoption of the public sector IR35 reform will be straightforward. Here’s why it will be anything but.

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Public sector bodies begin fightback against draconian IR35 reform

Two months to the IR35 reform, public sector bodies are taking drastic measures to hold onto their contractors and avoid jeopardising projects.

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IR35 reforms: HMRC’s tool could mean wholesale stitch up of contractors

Forcing public sector clients to use the taxman’s inadequate IR35 tool risks pushing thousands of legitimate contractors into false employment.

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Uber ruling opinion: gig workers need rights, but don't hurt genuinely self-employed

The Uber tribunal could shift public policy benefitting those who work in the gig economy. But hopefully it won't damage the contracting sector.

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Contractors need to lobby their MPs to avoid impending IR35 disaster

HMRC aren’t listening to experts and claim they can achieve the impossible with an online IR35 tool. Contractors need to start fighting back now.

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IR35 public sector consultation does not mean the end of limited company contracting

HMRC’s IR35 public sector consultation is not the end of limited companies, as the drivers for flexible working and incorporation are still growing.

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Contractors can make Brexit work: unleash, don’t shackle the UK’s flexible workforce

Contractors are well positioned to underpin plans to make Brexit work, but only if regulatory attacks stop and there is a plan in place to implement.

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HMRC guidance doesn’t always align with tax law

HMRC guidance – and even its legislation – can often prove wrong or misleading, and contractors should be careful not to always take it at face value.

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Contractors driving IT innovation deserve more Government backing

IT contractors are boosting the economy by delivering innovation across multiple sectors, and so deserve more Government recognition and support.

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HMRC’s tactic of turning advisers into tax spies could backfire

HMRC’s plans to turn tax advisers into tax avoidance spies could reap unwanted results, generating more non-compliance and more work for the taxman.

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Cameron and the Conservatives are hardly contractors’ friends

David Cameron and the Tories are hardly contractors’ friends, as shown by the excessive regulation the contingent workforce now has to endure.

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Freelance lobby groups should promote different measures to the use of contractors

Freelance lobby groups should encourage policymakers to consider the differing profiles of contractors, to help bring about a change in thinking.

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IR35 rule changes mean public sector contractor costs could rise by 23%

IR35 rule changes for the public sector mean Government – not contractors – could be left out of pocket resulting from miscalculations and oversights.

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