Contractors underpin new UK industrial strategy: will government recognition follow?
Contractors are set to play a huge role supporting the UK’s new industrial strategy. Will government support and recognition for contractors follow?
The one bit of common sense in the original IR35 legislation has just been ditched
As the off-payroll rules take effect, underpinned by the business entity tests and IR35, the outcomes are likely to be higher costs & poorer services.
MPs expose “morally repugnant tax avoiders”. No, not contractors, but MPs themselves
Contractors could be forgiven for thinking MPs are morally repugnant tax avoiders trying to claim expenses and tax deductions the rest of us can’t.
The UK’s financial plumbing needs fresh thinking to reduce leakage, not more patches
The UK’s financial plumbing is not delivering the required flow of National Insurance Contributions. We need fresh thinking, not legislative patches.
As contracting becomes ever more key to UK growth, why do coalition attacks increase?
Contractors are increasing in number and the sector is growing in importance. So why is contracting the target of increasing government attacks?
Off-payroll and controlling persons: unworkable complications benefitting nobody
As if IR35 could get more complicated: the Government that brought us the Office of Tax Simplification now brings us more unworkable tax legislation.
Hey, HM Government: What’s it to be? Tax or growth? It’s your call...
Government needs to stop demonising contractors as tax avoiders and recognise and reward them for the support provided to the UK’s engines of growth.
The oil & gas sector can offer the Chancellor a lesson on contractor taxation
Contractors, like oil & gas firms, are highly mobile. Tax them too heavily and they will ply their trade, pay taxes and spend their money elsewhere.
BBC media contractor witchhunt: do license payers really want to pay more for less?
Media contractors deliver the BBC cost effective, quality services. Why should license payers pay more for less to please a flawed government agenda?
Media and politicians seem determined to avoid the real facts about tax avoidance
Contractors trading via limited companies are increasingly demonised by the media and politicians, who avoid the facts in preference to headlines.
Contractors, with the right support, can grow their business into something bigger
Contracting businesses can evolve into something bigger. With the right support, now could be the time for your ideas to become a growth business.
Dear Prime Minister, I do most sincerely apologise for paying my taxes within the law
It is not for government to tell contractors what is and isn’t moral: Govt makes and enforces laws; individuals decide what is moral within the law.
Government tax policy, or lack thereof, is killing the UK’s flexible competitiveness
Contractors are bearing the brunt of the government’s poorly conceived & reactive tax policy that is killing the UK’s key sources of competitiveness.
‘Soft’ contracting skills are even more important when times are tough
Contractors investing in contracting, as well as technical, skills improve their chances of staying in contract, and in business, during tough times.
The only outcomes of new ‘off-payroll’ rules will be a lose-lose-lose for government
By implementing its new ‘off-payroll’ rules, government will lose the best contractors, hire mediocre replacements & end up costing the taxpayer more.
Does HMRC even know where its ‘better administration of IR35’ target is?
If contractors agree to trial HMRC’s new IR35 framework for 12 months, how are we going to measure if ‘better administration’ has been achieved?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Plenty of rules for us; no rules for them
Contractors could be forgiven for assuming HMRC only targets the public over tax avoidance, while the political elite are left to get on with it.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.