IT Contracting work

[malvolio]

Is it? What's your source? Here's IPSEs



Freelancer Confidence Index Q4 2018 | IPSE

You're not comparing like with like. Freelances are anyone who, in effect, doesn't work for an employer and many of whom are on fairly low hourly rates. The bulk of IPSE's membership are what we here recognise as contractors, predominantly in IT and engineering, who are in the top 5% of earners. That is one of the problems IPSE faces, as I see it, which is the lack of recognition that there are many forms of freelance workers, including us.

From my own experience, my rates in today's market are around £650 a day, and I've been offered around £100k salary plus package not that long ago. There wouldn't be an awful lot of difference at the end of the day. And £40k a year coders aren't rare, equivalent to around £300 a day in terms of take home, and those rates aren't that rare either, outside the central London bubble.

Already planned tax changes and other factors will only erode the differential further. (There is a clear intent to get employed and self-employed taxes to be levelled out - and that despite lots of evidence that we actually contribute more than employees in terms of tax generated.)