Expensing/Tax Relief on Computer Equipment - Umbrella Employee

[Jambrella]

Yeah that’s fair.

I was provided one in my last job so there was no reason to have my own for the last 6 years. Thanks for the help everyone

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Actually it's not fair at all - just another of the terrible aspects of working inside IR35 - or as I prefer to call it, as a no-rights employee.

[malvolio]

Actually it's not fair at all - just another of the terrible aspects of working inside IR35 - or as I prefer to call it, as a no-rights employee.

You can look at it two ways. I prefer the one that goes if you are a contractor it's not unreasonable to assume that you would have the basic tools of the job, which includes a PC of some kind. The fact you've been shoehorned into a pseudo employee role for taxation does not remove that basic obligation, nor does it mean you are due any of the rights and benefits of being an employee.

the client in this case has provided the wherewithal to access his systems, it's up to you how you get to that access point. And who, especially in our trade, does not have some basic internet access? It also now seems the OP has been using a work PC as his own for the last 6 years, which to my mind is not an excuse for not having your own.

Yes the taxation is utterly unfair and has been for 20 years. It does not get away from the fact that your "employment" is as an independent contractor providing services.

[eek]

The other side of the coin is that a lot of mechanics spend £,000s on their own tool kit because nothing is provided for them at the garage who employs them..

Being asked to provide a cheap computer to access something remote isn't that big a deal and has (in industries like the one above) been the case for decades.

[ensignia]

Some sensible replies in here.

Never understood the mindset of a petty few on here who have a tantrum when asked to provide their own equipment citing some kind of financial hardship or unfairness

We're mostly well recompensed individuals who solely work as IT contractors who then suddenly don't have access to the right computer when asked to provide their own equipment usually to try and prove some pathetic point

I'm absolutely fuming whenever a client sends over a laptop and forces you to use that. Luckily the software I use and Teams/Outlook is accessible on my personal device so I have no need to use Client 1's laptop, although client 2 are far more stringent and I'm stuck using their awful Windows machine. But at least I didn't have to shell out for my own device and saved a few quid eh? Because that's the more important thing and a little moral victory for us hard done by contractors.