Choosing an accountancy + IR35 survey

[TheFaQQer]

You can get a pro-rate refund any time I believe.

Can't be bothered, TBH.

It's only £100 or so for the year.

[ptrcontract]

I'm intending to join PCG - from all the comments in the forum, it seems a very worthwhile option.

So the only choice that remains is who to use to get my contract (and working practices) reviewed for IR35.

Lawspeed seem one of the most expensive (£260 or £85+£140/hr), although I believe this may be justified by a team of solicitors reviewing your contract. However, this "review process is passive", hence any ammendments are further chargeable.

Accountax are £299.

Bauer & Cottrell £145 for a status review and £175 for a full review.

SJD offer a review service for £150.

QDos are the cheapest - £35 for the annual membership, which includes a three annual yes/no reviews and £85 for the independent tax expert review including the working practices.

Apologies for repeating the question but is it entirely personal choice and comfort - or does any one have far more value than the other?

[malvolio]

The only significant difference is that B&C review it for IR35 and Lawspeed review it for IR35 and commercial sanity. No idea what QDOS do, but I suspect it's the same as B&C.

If you're moderately confident of its status SJD will always cast an eye over it and confirm your thinking which might be useful - depends how well clued up you are on both IR35 and commercial rules.

Anyway you're approaching this from the wrong angle. You're debating cost, not quality, and you're arguing about tens of pounds - with the average three monther bringing in around £25k nett, why is it significant? As I've said many times, qualified advice, accounting or legal, is essentially free.

[ptrcontract]

The only significant difference is that B&C review it for IR35 and Lawspeed review it for IR35 and commercial sanity. No idea what QDOS do, but I suspect it's the same as B&C.

If you're moderately confident of its status SJD will always cast an eye over it and confirm your thinking which might be useful - depends how well clued up you are on both IR35 and commercial rules.

Anyway you're approaching this from the wrong angle. You're debating cost, not quality, and you're arguing about tens of pounds - with the average three monther bringing in around £25k nett, why is it significant? As I've said many times, qualified advice, accounting or legal, is essentially free.

Thanks - cost was actually the least important factor, I was looking for the service that was most thorough and worthwhile in the long-term.

From your statement, Lawspeed will give me more general review of my contract as well as the IR35 checks, which seems worthwhile, although I am slightly uncomfortable with the open-ended price tag if ammendments were needed - albeit as you say, that would essentially pay for itself.