24 month rule

[Bruce GT3]

Advice required -

My current contract (which has no time stipulation in it btw) has now gone over a 24 month period, meaning I am now unable to claim for certain expenses.

I've heard the following; can anyone confirm that legally that after 24 months I am now free to resign from this contract and approach the client directly - with an obvious advantage in the agents commission being removed from the equation?

TIA,
B.

[Archangel]

No, there is no legal basis for what you propose.

Are you sure your contract has no time limit? I've never heard that in 20 years as a contractor. What exactly are you contracted to do? Do you have a notice clause?

Did you opt out of the agency regs?

[RichardCranium]

Are you sure your contract has no time limit? I've never heard that in 20 years as a contractor.

I am pretty damn sure that's because in English Law a contract has to have an end to be valid. That's why there are 9,999 year leases.

My current contract (which has no time stipulation in it btw)

I reckon you could walk any time and there's bugger all they can do since the contract has never been valid.

But don't trust me! Get proper advice.

[BolshieBastard]

Just continue paying yourself travel expenses after the 24 months. The dumb ****s at hmrc will never know if you dont get investigated.

I've done it a few times and never been caught.

[Bruce GT3]

Thanks for the advice guys.

For the record, my contract states verbatim "Termination date of assignment : until completion of assignment".

There are no time limits or other criteria mentioned which one could regard or judge whether completion has been achieved.

Hmmm...

B.

[RichardCranium]

For the record, my contract states verbatim "Termination date of assignment : until completion of assignment".

There are no time limits or other criteria mentioned which one could regard or judge whether completion has been achieved.

There will be; you were taken on to do something. So there was an implied end.

Regarding your original question, the agent will be most grumpy if you try to go direct. Especially with the market being so quiet; they will want to keep their cash flow going.

Also, the expenses don't stop at 24 months. It is worse than that. They stop from the instant you know you will be there more than 24 months.