Umbrellas Doomed?

[The Lone Gunman]

Even if the Tories are elected I do not think they will have much money to play with.

I understand IR35 is costing more to police than it is collecting, so they could pull it.
I suspect that there is other legislation that is doing the same.

This is not about what NL or the Tories will do, it has always been about what is right and fair. Most of the policies introduced by NL since they came to power are neither.

Please dont think this is just me wanting more money. I have said that if IR35 were reformed to be easy to understand and I was caught then I would gladly pay up (or get out).

It is the focused attack on practices that NL and HMRC dont like that bugs me, particularly when they have to twist their rules to let others operate unmolested.
The uncertainty over my set up and income when the HMRC web site and Govt. proclamations state that tax should be easily understood. Tax doesn't have to be taxing.
I have come close to packing it in a couple of times and I live in constant fear that at some time in the future the fruits of all my hard work could be ripped away because som HR bod who I have never had dealings with says the wrong thing to Hector.

This move to remove expenses from brolly users is just another such molestation.

[max]

a) A Blair clone leader who is basically a policy free zone and by

Any policies released now are likely to be poached(ala non dom), so why broadcast them. Be patient. You don't need to make your choice until less than 24 before polls close.

Do you think they will go to an election with no policies? Might still get in...but unlikely.

Current bunch have struggled to understand the way we work, assuming we do it to rip them off. They seem unlikely to change....so maybe things can get better with the "blair clone". (if blair didn't have brown next door, things would probably have been better anyway)

[NickFitz]

Incidentally if as an employee you routinely drive 30 miles to work, but one day take a business trip elsewhere that makes you drive 50 miles the other way, you're only supposed to claim 20 miles. So if you live in Reading, work in London and your Umbrella's office is in Edinburgh...

That's not correct, according to HMRC's own example:

"An employee is employed as a financial adviser working in Brighton. His employer sends him to an office in Bournemouth for one day a week over a 10 month period. He travels to Bournemouth directly from his home in Hastings. A deduction is due for the full cost of his travel between his home and Bournemouth but not for the cost of travel between his home and Brighton".

Drifting OT, a lot of people on this board, whether brolly or Ltd, ought to be considering the implications of their next example very carefully - particularly the phrase "...expects to work continuously in the City of London albeit on the premises of different banks" and the conclusions drawn therefrom.

[Fred Bloggs]

In its worst incarnation, it will bring in around £600m a year. That's quite a lot to you and me, but roughly 0.001% of GDP. I don't think that will worry anyone too much, given that it's likley to upset around 20% of the electorate..

However it looks like they are doing the same non-consultaion process as last time, so it's doomed to failure anyway for exactly the same reasons.

Hope you're right.

[Damo1176]

I am still working with people who are abusing the expenses under umbrellas, the latest and I had no idea they were doing this...

Claims £15 a day without receipts cos the umbrella said he can
Lives in rented accomodation down here and so has very limited travelling and so cannot claim much for it so instead goes out at the weekend doing his hobby and claims that fuel instead. Just has to put in a receipt tno need to say where from and where to. Alsoclaimed for a laptop that he uses at home which has no link to his current work, hos mobile phone which he doesn't need at work etc etc. His umbrella don'c care he can supplement his income and do they do anythuing about it... NO!!!

Add to that someone else has been ina contract at same location for over 2 years sop changed umbrella and thinks it's fine to start the 24 clock over again, been doing it that for thelast 5-6 years....anyone looked into, done anything about it...NO!!! Drives me mad, be honest, be poorer. Lie and cheat and fiddle make a mint.

[pmeswani]

I am still working with people who are abusing the expenses under umbrellas, the latest and I had no idea they were doing this...

Claims £15 a day without receipts cos the umbrella said he can
Lives in rented accomodation down here and so has very limited travelling and so cannot claim much for it so instead goes out at the weekend doing his hobby and claims that fuel instead. Just has to put in a receipt tno need to say where from and where to. Alsoclaimed for a laptop that he uses at home which has no link to his current work, hos mobile phone which he doesn't need at work etc etc. His umbrella don'c care he can supplement his income and do they do anythuing about it... NO!!!

Add to that someone else has been ina contract at same location for over 2 years sop changed umbrella and thinks it's fine to start the 24 clock over again, been doing it that for thelast 5-6 years....anyone looked into, done anything about it...NO!!! Drives me mad, be honest, be poorer. Lie and cheat and fiddle make a mint.

I'm sure the Govt / HMRC have caught onto this and will close the loophole at some point or set up a whistleblowing hotline. .

[Damo1176]

I've been praying for months if not years for that to happen and it never does....people laugh at me when I say I don't claim £15 subsistence a day, and claim dodgy expenses saying everyone esle does why should you miss out......I claim this, that , the other etc! Who cares....apart from a small minority obviously noone!!

[pmeswani]

I've been praying for months if not years for that to happen and it never does....people laugh at me when I say I don't claim £15 subsistence a day, and claim dodgy expenses saying everyone esle does why should you miss out......I claim this, that , the other etc! Who cares....apart from a small minority obviously noone!!

I am pretty much the same. I wouldn't claim what I can't prove. I do claim expenses daily, but I put it through with receipts (Ltd Company). I don't abuse the limit that I have (About £30 to £35 daily limit) and only claim what I actually spend and can actually prove (about £15 a day).

[TheBigYinJames]

I've been praying for months if not years for that to happen and it never does....people laugh at me when I say I don't claim £15 subsistence a day, and claim dodgy expenses saying everyone esle does why should you miss out......I claim this, that , the other etc! Who cares....apart from a small minority obviously noone!!

So because you feel inadequate at your lack of courage you wish to see financial ruin on others?

[original PM]

Hey Damo

Don't feel bad - it is the minority who claim dodgy expenses the vast majority of contractors are actually an honest bunch!

At least you true to your morals - worth a lot more in my opinion than a few extra quid in your back pocket!