Government IR35 pay deals raise spectre of contractor witch-hunt
The contractor and freelancer world have been all atwitter these past few weeks after it was revealed that Student Loans Company Chief Executive Ed Lester received his pay through a limited company despite being an obvious employee of the firm. This is in stark contrast to HMRC's stance on so-called disguised employment - which contractors...
Government to offer empty premises to contractors and startups
David Cameron last month announced plans to free up 300 premises for new businesses and entrepreneurs. The under-used or empty government owned office premises and buildings will be offered to startups at a low cost for one year to enable new companies to establish themselves.
Contractor Accountant arrested for £500,000 tax fraud
Darren Upton, a well-respected and successful accountant in the IT sector, has been found guilty of fraud after it was revealed that he had taken £250,000 that had been put aside by his contractor clients for tax bills and paid it into his own account.
Libertarian think-tank proposes making SME employees self-employed
Several surveys and studies in 2011 highlighted the fact that contractors and freelancers who wish to grow their business are put off by the excessive red tape and financial burden that comes with taking on employees. Now a prominent Libertarian think-tank called the Adam Smith Institute has published the first part of a paper called...
BCC calls on Government to cut red tape for small businesses
The British Chambers of Commerce has added their voice to the growing concerns over red tape for contractors, freelancers and small businesses. The BCC has called for increased deregulation to allow small firms to acquire the skills they need through extra employees.
What we learned about IR35 in 2011
IR35, as with all legislation, is a constantly evolving beast. With every new case comes new case law that contractors, freelancers, and employment experts can use to try to stay one step ahead of HMRC's hamfisted enforcement of the much-maligned anti-avoidance rules.
IT contractor involved in first ever IR35 split decision
A contractor has been given an extraordinary verdict of being both outside and inside IR35 at one single workplace. John Spencer had been working through his limited company JLJ, supplying services to a firm called Allianz for seven years when he came under fire from HMRC, despite a 17 year history trading as a freelance...
National Insurance Holidays scheme attracts ministerial ire
As part of their ongoing attempts to coax the UK's wavering economy back to life, in 2010 the Government introduced a scheme called National Insurance Holidays. This tax relief system allows first-time employers to forego employer National Insurance Contributions for their first ten employees up to a maximum value of £5,000 per employee.
Project Merlin banks claim to be on target for lending figures
British banks have announced that they are on target to meet lending figures that were set out by the government in Project Merlin. However, small business leaders have disputed the announcement claiming that loans are becoming harder to find and much more expensive.
Contractors and SMEs welcome EU-wide sales law
Contractors and small business have welcomed the news that the EU is proposing an optional EU-wide sales law after results from a survey carried out by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has shown that 43% of small firms use the internet to trade across the border but that legal obligations and sales disputes are...
Government to contribute £95m to small businesses via banks
David Cameron has set out plans to contribute an extra £95m to help contractors and SMEs. The money will come from the Regional Growth Fund and will be filtered out through RBS NatWest and HSBC, leading to the potential unlocking of £500m.
Health and safety laws to be overhauled
As the government plans to cut health and safety laws, business groups anticipate that small businesses will benefit from significant savings as a result.
