Leaving contract midway

[psychocandy]

News just in... 'PC uses JSA handouts to pay for his Prawn Sandwiches' shocker!

JSA did indirectly part pay for my holiday to Florida one year....

[GillsMan]

5. Other people on this forum will call you unprofessional. BIGGEST ONE EVER NOT TO CARE ABOUT (OK dead heat with number 3). Don't believe they wouldnt do the same if it was them despite what they may post.

Yeah, only given that this forum is populated with professional contractors and successful business people, it would behove newbie contractors to take on board our advice on such matters. Those of us that are successful contractors and/or business owners are very professional in our actions. Don't try to assume we're all BSing when we say "take the professional options". Many of us have taken the professional route when presented with a more attractive option.

JSA did indirectly part pay for my holiday to Florida one year....

Absolutely disgusting.

[teapot418]

JSA did indirectly part pay for my holiday to Florida one year....

Does it ever occur to you that HMRC read these forums? Do you think posts like this helps to reinforce the message that contractors are in business on their own account, or do they have the opposite effect?

[GillsMan]

Does it ever occur to you that HMRC read these forums? Do you think posts like this helps to reinforce the message that contractors are in business on their own account, or do they have the opposite effect?

There were so many problems with that post, but in fairness I don't think HMRC reading it is one of them. HMRC may well read it, but can't see that causing an issue tbf.

[psychocandy]

Yeah, only given that this forum is populated with professional contractors and successful business people, it would behove newbie contractors to take on board our advice on such matters. Those of us that are successful contractors and/or business owners are very professional in our actions. Don't try to assume we're all BSing when we say "take the professional options". Many of us have taken the professional route when presented with a more attractive option.



Absolutely disgusting.

I dont think I'd call myself a newbie and I have been fairly successful to be honest.

Lets get real about the JSA thing. £74 a week did not pay for my holiday did it?

That was all paid for beforehand of course out of contract earnings. And of course I didnt claim until I claim back - you can't thats the law.

Claining JSA. Illegal - nope. Immoral - matter of opinion. Practical - sometimes but not all.

Earning 80K a year as a contractor and paying low salary, dividends, expenses while the permie sitting next to you on £80K perm salary is paying LOADS more tax. Illegal - nope. Immoral - I dont think so but I bet a LOT of permies would.

Do you feel guilty about spending money you've saved in tax?

[jmo21]

There were so many problems with that post, but in fairness I don't think HMRC reading it is one of them. HMRC may well read it, but can't see that causing an issue tbf.

I can picture it being used in a contractor bashing news article tbh

[psychocandy]

Does it ever occur to you that HMRC read these forums? Do you think posts like this helps to reinforce the message that contractors are in business on their own account, or do they have the opposite effect?

You, Sir, are having a laugh. Perhaps it'll get raised in Parliament. Did you know a contractor once claimed JSA, thats it we've got them all now.

Also, quite what JSA has got to being a business or not is beyond me. You do know that the rules also allow someone self-employed (i.e. not directors like us) who has no work to claim JSA? Does this mean they arent in business? Nope it does not. Get your facts right.

[psychocandy]

I can picture it being used in a contractor bashing news article tbh

Again I fail to see the link....

[TheFaQQer]

Again I fail to see the link....

Because anything that perpetuates the myth that we are all tax-avoiding, money-grabbing, benefit-cheating scum is a bad thing.

In the same way that a few people abusing umbrella expenses (and a few umbrellas encouraged it) led to a crackdown on travel and subsistence expenses (which could have hit contractors far worse than it did, thanks to the lobbying effort that some people put in), if there is a public voice saying "look, whenever I'm out of contract I claim JSA" then that potentially risks a change to the rules to the detriment of others.

HMRC read the forums. HMRC look at what people are saying. HMRC will look for areas that they can use to perpetuate the myth that all contractors are money grabbing scum and this is yet another way that we "defraud" the state.

Personally, I don't really care one way or the other that you claim JSA. Where I do care is when those that brag about these things bring unwarranted attention and give some credence to the lie that all contractors are milking the state for every penny that they can grab. Because things like that start to affect my business and the business of people like me.

[LondonManc]

PC's having a mare when it comes to building business relationships again.

As a contractor, you're now basing your ability to secure business on:

• Experience
• Skillset
• Reputation

While you may have the first two in spades, if you're a habitual "jumper", then I personally wouldn't consider you. When managing projects, it's my job to manage risks out of projects. Engaging a contractor who has short stints (non-standard ones) all over their cv flags up warnings; either they aren't as good as their CV suggests or they aren't a completer. Either way, it's a risk I wouldn't want to take on when I have other candidates with better track records.

I understand people move when there's a rate cut; the deal has changed, but taking a contract at a rate that you're "happy" with then ditching them for a better rate isn't a great idea.