expenses gone mad

[TheFaQQer]

I want to go down the Ltd Co route and make the money that way rather than fraudulent expenses but am just as worried about IR35, My contract is good but working practices less so.

I hate the worry and the anonyance but it's a lot of money to chicken out of earning

Take out insurance to reduce the worry - that's what I do!

[TheFaQQer]

If you are a contractor you can probably justify a printer as you have to use it to print off resume's while between gigs and print off your invoices, etc.

One thing that does make me laugh about all this though.

If you saw little Johnny Scumbag walking down the road every morning, and each day he smashed a car window and stole the contents of said car would you:

1. Be disheartened and jealous because you weren't doing it.
2. Think what a little scumbag, I can't wait for him to get what's coming to him.
3. Report the crime and make sure he got whats coming to him.

Now ask the same question about your colleagues and thier expense claims. Did you give the same answer? If not why not? They are stealing just the same way Johny Scumbag does, or is theft OK as long as you steal from the right people?

I guess the difference is that you don't work with Johnny Scumbag every day. If he gets caught, he's unlikely to come into work and moan that someone has dobbed him into HMRC.

I'm not saying that people shouldn't do it, but it might make working with them uncomfortable, to say the least.

[Ardesco]

How do you know that the person sitting next to you isn't Johnny Scumbag who is breaking into a car every day?

If you find out tomorrow that he is, how is this going to affect what you do, or how you feel?

The point is that a lot of people don't seem to think that tax evasion is a crime that should be taken seriously, however it is just as bad a being a mugger or an armed robber, and it affects far more poeple financially....

[Euro-commuter]

I want to go down the Ltd Co route and make the money that way rather than fraudulent expenses but am just as worried about IR35, My contract is good but working practices less so.

I hate the worry and the anonyance but it's a lot of money to chicken out of earning

You mean you do believe it's dishonest but you can't resist if there's enough money in it?

[Damo1176]

You mean you do believe it's dishonest but you can't resist if there's enough money in it?

NO what I mean is many of us are at risk if the IR wanted to go to town about it and be picky about things, what I am saying is that I hate taking risks or putting myself in a position where I could come a cropper so try to avoid usually but this is a lot of money for what some people consider minimal risk.

[Bluebird]

NO what I mean is many of us are at risk if the IR wanted to go to town about it and be picky about things, what I am saying is that I hate taking risks or putting myself in a position where I could come a cropper so try to avoid usually but this is a lot of money for what some people consider minimal risk.

It sounds to me like you're inside IR35 and you know it, you also don't want to take the risk of breaking the law by falsifying claims.

Perhaps you need a permie job, so that in addition to the pay you get the added benefits of pension, holidays etc...

[Ardesco]

what I am saying is that I hate taking risks or putting myself in a position where I could come a cropper so try to avoid usually but this is a lot of money for what some people consider minimal risk.

So what you are saying is that you are normally a law abiding citizen, but in this case you are thinking of breaking the law because it could be a nice little earner....

[Damo1176]

So what you are saying is that you are normally a law abiding citizen, but in this case you are thinking of breaking the law because it could be a nice little earner....

IO guess undeniably you're correct, my current employer has far too much contrll of what I do to make me really able to argue to be outside. The ones that I work with that pretend they're not are just risking it everyday but like muggers, thieves etc many will get away with it and not even appreciate they have got away with it.

Considering whats entailed owning your own company etc and the running of, keeping history for 6 years is there any huge financial gain available to me using an accountant for 6-9 months and operating inside IR35?

Think I am going to stay umbrella and claim the bare essentials I am allowed...mileage, stationaryu, postage and food where applicable, thanks for everyone's help < will wait till later life when I am more skilled up then maybe look at contracting again.

[Bluebird]

IO guess undeniably you're correct, my current employer has far too much contrll of what I do to make me really able to argue to be outside. The ones that I work with that pretend they're not are just risking it everyday but like muggers, thieves etc many will get away with it and not even appreciate they have got away with it.

Considering whats entailed owning your own company etc and the running of, keeping history for 6 years is there any huge financial gain available to me using an accountant for 6-9 months and operating inside IR35?

Think I am going to stay umbrella and claim the bare essentials I am allowed...mileage, stationaryu, postage and food where applicable, thanks for everyone's help < will wait till later life when I am more skilled up then maybe look at contracting again.

Think you've made the right choice for now.

Good Luck.

Don't forget, get skilled up THEN come back to contracting as a Ltd co with all the hassle/rewards that entails

[Jason D]

The trouble is, the more that the tax system squeezes the pips until they are dry, the more that people are tempted to avoid/evade paying it.

Not defended it in the slightest but that's the way it is and will always be.