Contracting Matters Blog

5 Simple Steps You Can Take To Improve Your IR35 Status

Posted by John Yerou on January 22nd, 2015 in Contracting Matters Blog

IR35, or intermediaries legislation to give it its proper name, is still here. And the signs are it's encroaching on all walks of contracting life.

First, the decision of whether you're working "inside" IR35 went to the public sector to decide. In the upcoming IR35 Reform (April 2020), the same decision-making process is going to the private sector.

Already, many banks have put a stop to hiring contractors post-reform. Rather than taking the responsibility of deciding, those who've opted out have taken what many see as the 'easy' way out.

So, what can you do? Is limited company and umbrella contracting dead?Continue reading about  5 Simple Steps You Can Take To Improve Your IR35 Status

Will Independent Professionals pack more punch than Contractors?

Posted by John Yerou on September 21st, 2014 in Contracting Matters Blog

It must have been a tough choice for PCG. They've built their brand by giving contractors a voice where before echoed only silence. To rebrand as IPSE is not only a ballsy decision, but also shows that businesses of any size can shift in line with market trends.

But what if we peep behind their decision to clock out the term 'contractors' in their moniker one last time? Why become an association that represents Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed, instead?Continue reading about  Will Independent Professionals pack more punch than Contractors?

What are the differences between freelancers and contractors?

Posted by John Yerou on May 23rd, 2014 in Contracting Matters Blog

In the aftermath of the credit crisis, freelancing has grown at an unfaltering rate in the UK. Since 2009, the number of self-employed workers has grown by 6.3%.

In comparison, the overall labour market has only grown by 2%. So where has this additional growth come from?

There are two major contributory factors:

• many who lost their jobs during the economic turmoil saw self-employment as no greater risk than a permanent role;
• information technology has eradicated the communication barrier of working from home.

Continue reading about  What are the differences between freelancers and contractors?