Retaining VAT Monies

[MrButton]

OP - please get an accountant. There are too many things you can get wrong and you're currently not getting a grasp of all the different issues even the basic ones. Which is understandable as you are not a trained accountant.

Get one for at least the first year to get your head around it and ask all the questions. The first couple of months you will learn so much, much more than from an Internet forum.

I would recommend intouch they are always transparent and answer me promptly. They also offer an umbrella service if you're inside ir35 included in their standard Ltd company fee (I've not used it yet)

I'd also say if you're not going down the accountant route due to money concerns then I don't think it's the right time to be going contracting.

[Lance]

if I was prepared to pay the full whack of income tax, all NICs and everything without any attempts at minimising/avoiding; would it be possible to do my own accounts for contracting inside-IR35 with only minimal risk?

I believe what you asking is "if I paid all the taxes that HMRC think are due as if I was actually inside IR35, are they likely to investigate me?"
I think the answer is no they aren't likely to bother as they'd spend a load of money to get sweet FA.

Many do this already. Some contracts you have may be inside and some outside. Most contractor accountants will handle this.
It's only the contractors that will always be inside that find umbrellas really useful. Personally, if I had a contract inside I'd still run it through my LTD (and pay every penny into my pension).