NW forcing an IR35 contract review

[VectraMan]

And contract clauses, whilst the starting point, also need to match up with your actual working practices...the contract on its own is also meaningless if you need to ask for time off, are controlled by client, etc etc.

Which makes a contract review entirely pointless. And you won't know what the actual working practices are going to be until you start the gig.

[qtech]

For the moment I'm happy with my current setup. I can live with a small possibility of being investigated and then another small possibility of being asked to repay some tax. There is no way I can be 100% certain I'm safe and also I'm just starting trading so this shortfall will be small. Going forward once the possible shortfall grows to > £20k I will purchase an IR35 insurance policy which is relatively cheap considering the protection it provides.

[malvolio]

For the moment I'm happy with my current setup. I can live with a small possibility of being investigated and then another small possibility of being asked to repay some tax. There is no way I can be 100% certain I'm safe and also I'm just starting trading so this shortfall will be small. Going forward once the possible shortfall grows to > £20k I will purchase an IR35 insurance policy which is relatively cheap considering the protection it provides.

Just join the PCG now and save the hassle altogether. There's more to life than IR35.

[captainham]

Which makes a contract review entirely pointless. And you won't know what the actual working practices are going to be until you start the gig.

I disagree. Having good working practices but a contract plastered all over with 'I am a disguised employee' is still not going to help (it just might take you longer to shake off HMRC but why give them a hook), plus a specialist review shows a level of due diligence being carried out (as you'd expect from a 'proper' business).

[Sidekick]

Going forward once the possible shortfall grows to > £20k I will purchase an IR35 insurance policy which is relatively cheap considering the protection it provides.

The only issue with this solution is that you need to meet the conditions of the insurance - you should look into those now, as quite often it's not as simple as just making a payment. Your insurance is only valid while you keep the policy active and HMRC will go back years. Don't get me wrong, insurance is always good but it's not a substitute for doing the right thing from the start. As you're fairly new, there's a good opportunity to put the right working practices in place. It'll certainly make getting that insurance easier. Think of it like buying a deadlock for your front door - it's just a sensible and easy thing to do (and you can still buy contents cover!)