QDOS - IR35 review

[Pungnan]

Apologies in advance if I've missed any relevant threads.

So. As a very new contractor who has read up on IR35 as far as my brain can cope with right now I was thinking to get my contract & WPs etc reviewed by QDOS in regards to IR35 and was wondering what others thought especially in light of the governments' pledge to review the whole area anyway.

Is there any benefit in doing this now, or would you just sit tight and see which way the wind blows over the next few months?

[malvolio]

IR35 hasn't gone yet. If it does, it won't be for at least a year, possibly not until two budget's time. There's no guarantee it will be removed, it may be transmuted into something else. Who knows? Until we do, it would be a very foolish person who pretends it isn't there any more...

And there's no point in getting a contract review once you've started work, is there? Or did you miss that bit?

[JoJoGabor]

Yes absolutely. I got them to review mine a couple of weeks ago. I think you can join their "club" for £45 and get three IR35 reviews a year for free.

They got 3 clauses replaced for me to make it IR35 compliant. Luckily this project is definitely outside IR35 so it would have been a shame to get busted just cause of the contract wording.

[Pungnan]

IR35 hasn't gone yet. If it does, it won't be for at least a year, possibly not until two budget's time. There's no guarantee it will be removed, it may be transmuted into something else. Who knows? Until we do, it would be a very foolish person who pretends it isn't there any more...

And there's no point in getting a contract review once you've started work, is there? Or did you miss that bit?

thanks for repsonding Mal.

absolutely. wasn't planning on pretending it isn't there, and obviously it will take time to implement any changes, but I guess if there's a firm decision on whether it goes or stays then that will change priorities/focus within HMRC.

re getting my contract reviewed after I've started, I assume you mean it's now too late to change it? If so, yes I completely agree, but I understand IR35 is more about a combination of contract & working practices so if my contract is already "ok" (which I believe it is) a full review would give me a clear indication on the whole package. This would then give me a slighter firmer basis on which to operate and a potential first line of defence if required.

I'm also on a short contract (initially) so will potentially be able to implement changes in future ones.

[malvolio]

Fair enough. I assume you've had a good nose around www.pcg.org.uk...? 'Cos they are the real experts on IR35.

[Qdos Contractor]

Fair enough. I assume you've had a good nose around www.pcg.org.uk...? 'Cos they are the real experts on IR35.

Yeah, we don't know anything.

[malvolio]

Yeah, we don't know anything.

Well there's an interesting debate waiting to happen...

You guys, along with Abbey/Accountax, are almost certainly the real experts on the application of IR35 legislation and related fiscal matters; you'd have to be since that's how you make your money. PCG, on the other hand, are probably the real experts on how the whole range of issues affecting the modern contractor actually works and what you need to know about it to trade effectively.

I was trying to suggest the OP looks not only at the taxation landscape - which is fairly important - but also at all the other business issues he probably doesn't know he doesn't know. And the best source for that is the PCG website. The more you know, the stronger you are.

[SupremeSpod]

Well there's an interesting debate waiting to happen...

You guys, along with Abbey/Accountax, are almost certainly the real experts on the application of IR35 legislation and related fiscal matters; you'd have to be since that's how you make your money. PCG, on the other hand, are probably the real experts on how the whole range of issues affecting the modern contractor actually works and what you need to know about it to trade effectively.

I was trying to suggest the OP looks not only at the taxation landscape - which is fairly important - but also at all the other business issues he probably doesn't know he doesn't know. And the best source for that is the PCG website. The more you know, the stronger you are.

You might want to make public your connection with th PCG.

[malvolio]

You might want to make public your connection with th PCG.

I've never made a secret of it. However Malvolio emphatically does not speak on behalf of PCG, and I only ever post in the context of an informed member like any other.

[Pungnan]

Fair enough. I assume you've had a good nose around www.pcg.org.uk...? 'Cos they are the real experts on IR35.

I have, thanks. Lots more nosing to do. As you suggest what worries me is not what I know I don't know, but what I don't know I don't know.

My plan is to put off major decisions on most stuff like this until I know more, but to put the necessary money aside to cover the worst-case scenario.

Cheers for all the replies.