24 month rule

[ASB]

Martins post of course gives a strong hint as to the dates you might like to be negotiating extension for in order to delay expectation of 24 months being exceeded until the last minute.

Interesting sets of answers. General consensus seems to be not to let the tax tail wag the business dog. Which is a good thing.

The difference in cost isnt that big. After all if spending 1500 on exes its only 300 a month extra in most cases.

Though if I personally were in the position of having large exes and offered say a 12 month extension I might chance it say I can only commit for 6 months.

[cojak]

I accepted a 6 month extension last year knowing that I couldn't claim.

I'm now deliberately taking contracts to keep me out of the London area until May next year (I spent a lovely summer in Yorkshire and am commuting home every night in the current contract so it isn't a hardship).

It's all part of being a contractor.

[kingcook]

I find this interesting. I am curious to know the views of contractors on this. If you are in a position where you can negotiate the term of the contract, how much term would you sacrafice to enable more travel claims? For example, if you were to extend from 12 to 23 months instead of 24, do contractors generally consider it a worthwhile risk to sacrafice say, a months income, in order to claim travel for an additional 11 months?

I'm currently in a 12 monther. If offered another 12 months, I would say i'm only available for 11 months, possibly longer after that, and accept the fact that I would be subject to the 24 month rule after those 12+11 months.

I wouldn't, say, agree to a 51 week or 364 day extension as opposed to the 12 months. Too close to the wire IMO! The difference between 11 months and 51 weeks/364 days is negligible anyway.