PCG vs QDOS

[Lewis]

No contest.... I've been a member of the PCG for a number of years, and the forums have been a great source of advice (worth it alone), but...

the PCG have been next to useless so far in helping me with my IR35 enquiry... every time I ask for help (via tax helpline) I get a reply saying...

Sorry you don't have the PCG Plus cover, we won't help or advise you until the IR deem you inside IR35 then your insurance cover will kick in.

In stark contrast... I've paid £40 to QDos for a years inclusion in their Freelancers club and I've had hours and hours of help and advice from them on what to reply to the IR... a questionairre to determine working practices to stave off an IR questionairre and just so much support .... = there is no comparison.... the PCG are good, but QDOS are just so much better when the chips are down!

That is very good to hear. Best of luck with the investigation.

[Lewis]

So what do you want, FFS? Basic membership covers you for IR35 investigations; if you ain't in one, you ain't covered; hardly unreasonable. PCGPlus covers you for any tax-related investigation, and gives you professional representation from day one.

As for help and guidance - been on the fora yet?

I would guess he wants the same assistance QDOS are giving him. Afterall he doesn't have QDOS IR35 cover either but they seem prepared to help as much as they can via their helpline. There is surely a difference between some advice and professional representation!

[malvolio]

I would guess he wants the same assistance QDOS are giving him. Afterall he doesn't have QDOS IR35 cover either but they seem prepared to help as much as they can via their helpline. There is surely a difference between some advice and professional representation!

He would get all the professional, informed advice he could possibly want for free from the PCG forums...

Also, he's asking IR35-related questions but as yet he is only under a general aspect enquiry (<horse's mouth helmie...>): it could be he's not getting help from the helplines because he's asking the wrong questions. Nevertheless, I will ask PCG's guys to take a look at the history.


Oh, and PCGPlus would cover him for everything...

[MonkeyWorld]

Perhaps wasn't totally clear, I am a member of the PCG... I do know what questions to ask - been a contractor for over 10yrs now and v.clued up on IR35, S660, etc. I appreciate that I should of bought the PCG Plus cover, but I did expect to get better help from the PCG rather than the responses I have had ... which are basically, you're not a member of PCG Plus therefore we can't help you with anything until IR deem you are caught - then come back to us and your insurance will kick in for representation.

The response for some help/advice from QDOS however, was... yep, sure no problem if it's just general questions and not going to cost us too much in time we're more than happy to help particularly if your a member of the £40/yr Freelancers club. Advice has always been prompt and they've even been pro-active in advising me on what'll happen next, etc. rather than me having to call the PCG helpline every 5 mins and try and drag info out of them.

Don't think I'm being harsh...the contrast in help/advice between the two has really surprised me, especially consider the difference in amounts I've paid the two organisations.

[malvolio]

With my PCG hat on, I find this worrying on several levels. I shall do some digging...

[wattaj]

...I did expect to get better help from the PCG rather than the responses I have had ...
...which are basically, you're not a member of PCG Plus therefore we can't help you with anything until IR deem you are caught - then come back to us and your insurance will kick in for representation...
...rather than me having to call the PCG helpline every 5 mins and try and drag info out of them...
Don't think I'm being harsh...
...the contrast in help/advice between the two has really surprised me, especially consider the difference in amounts I've paid the two organisations.

I have to admit that I'm genuinely surprised by the treatment that you seem to have received.
It's just not the experience that others have reported.

Can you direct me to a link on the PCG fora where you raise these issues?

If there is something wrong with the offering (and I really don't think that there is), then help us to fix the problem and give you the support that you need and expect.

The PCG is in the business of helping the freelance community.

[MonkeyWorld]

I have to admit that I'm genuinely surprised by the treatment that you seem to have received.
It's just not the experience that others have reported.

Can you direct me to a link on the PCG fora where you raise these issues?

If there is something wrong with the offering (and I really don't think that there is), then help us to fix the problem and give you the support that you need and expect.

The PCG is in the business of helping the freelance community.

Whenever I've raised questions on the PCG forum I've always received largely useful advice (and don't get me wrong, the PCG membership fee is almost worth it alone for the forums and advice from people on there). However, when I had a PAYE review and that was then followed by an IR35 info gathering exercise I decided to contact the PCG helplines rather than raise my questions/concerns/requests for advice publically on the forums (rightly or wrongly).

Now I agree with you, I don't think there is anything wrong with the offering, however, what I've found is that the PCG helplines will answer questions, but long and short of all of my dealings has been ask us a direct question and you'll get an answer....however, when my request was more I'd like some advice on what might happen next and will there be any help in dealing with it....the response has essentially been, 'well you can call the tax helplines as much as you want, but you're not a PCG Plus member so no representation or further assistance kicks in until you are deemed inside IR35'.

Then I received further letters from the IR gathering info and I contacted the helplines again, I told them what they were requesting and this time I was asked to send them in, to provide the letter + contracts to the PCG = great - some help Then a week or so later, back comes a letter, essentially saying again, 'you're not a member of PCG Plus...please contact us again when the IR deem you insider IR35'. By this time, how I wish I could upgrade to PCG Plus, buy more insurance, etc. but no, no-one will upgrade/sell you insurance once an IR35 investigation has started - or even just a PAYE review kicked off.

Anyway, in stark contrast to that, a few chats with QDos, and they are more than happy to help and advise me, although cautious over time they spend (for free = fair enough), but more than happy to provide plenty of advice to Freelancer club members. Can I join even though PAYE review + IR35 review in progress, answer yes, no probs... oh, and here's a COA questionnaire to help gather the working arrangements....contact us when you want.
My opinion is a massively different level of service to someone that wasn't even a 'customer'.

PCG will hopefully be great when my PCG insurance kicks in, but during the IR35 info gathering stage I felt like no-one wanted to help. Sorry, not kicking the PCG and maybe this is over dramatic, but it's how I felt at the time when the IR were knocking,... when I needed them most they weren't there.

[malvolio]

Thanks. I can't promise PCG can do anything immediate to help your own case, for which apologies, unless you actually get hit with an IR35 case (in which case stand well back!) but you have highlighted something that is hugely valuable in a debate within the PCG.

That aside, get on to the PCG fora and ask away. You don't have to use the helplines to get informed help, and there are no Malvolios over there to take the Michael.

[MonkeyWorld]

Thanks. I can't promise PCG can do anything immediate to help your own case, for which apologies, unless you actually get hit with an IR35 case (in which case stand well back!) but you have highlighted something that is hugely valuable in a debate within the PCG.

That aside, get on to the PCG fora and ask away. You don't have to use the helplines to get informed help, and there are no Malvolios over there to take the Michael.

Cheers Malvolio... yup, I need to get on the forums more... things have calmed down a bit at the mo for me, my PAYE investigation is almost settled and my IR35 one is just ticking along, but feeling a lot more confident now time has gone on. I've now got to the point where I just accept what will be will be, I might lose, I might win, but either way there's not much I can do about it now other than make use of all advice at my disposal (forums included) to provide the best responses possible.

[EvilWeevil]

Surely it would be in everyone's interest for the PCG to advise its members what to do in the preliminary stages of these investigations, in order to prevent any investigations proceeding further?

Although given its advice on P35 Q6, I'm not convinced it would do any good.