Off-payroll workers, including Limited Company Contractors meeting their HMRC tax....

[speling bee]

What frustrates/worries me is that if the public sector is emptied of contractors and then filled with Bobs it means a lot more competition for me in the private sector which will probably drive down rates

This is a very IT orientated view (and I know this forum is primarily for IT contractors). My role cannot be outsourced abroad. If I walk, they cannot adequately replace me, so their project quality and enabled benefits will be reduced.

[MyUserName]

This is a very IT orientated view (and I know this forum is primarily for IT contractors). My role cannot be outsourced abroad. If I walk, they cannot adequately replace me, so their project quality and enabled benefits will be reduced.

Hmmm ... that does not frustrate or worry me.

[The Spartan]

What frustrates/worries me is that if the public sector is emptied of contractors and then filled with Bobs it means a lot more competition for me in the private sector which will probably drive down rates

There are barely enough testers for permanent positions let alone contract ones, plus I also place great faith in the fact that I'm a lot better than them so I'm not worried by the competition

[swampysarmy]

This is a very IT orientated view (and I know this forum is primarily for IT contractors). My role cannot be outsourced abroad. If I walk, they cannot adequately replace me, so their project quality and enabled benefits will be reduced.

Plus a lot of these roles require security clearance. Not easy (if impossible) for Bobs.

[MyUserName]

Plus a lot of these roles require security clearance. Not easy (if impossible) for Bobs.

That is something at least, at least for the moment

[speling bee]

Hmmm ... that does not frustrate or worry me.

It will do if you one day find that my project has not been adequately delivered and die a horrible death.

[platforminc]

Well, looking into this further, it seems fairly easy for normal contractors to be considered low risk, and avoid IR35 being enforced.

1. Rent hot desk space and agree working from home in principle - Cost around £500 p.a.

2. Pay for Public Liability Insurance - Cost around £400 p.a.

3. Advertise on Web site - Cost around £1200 p.a.

So all in, to put you in Low risk category of IR35, costs around £2k, and saves paying up to 45% of income in extra taxes. However, if you and some friends advertise on each others web sites, for £1,200 a year each, you have a revenue stream too, as well as fulfilling your obligations, so it's only going to cost you £900 odd to remove the risk.

Until they change the goalposts again.

The hot desk option, how can one prove that you actually worked from the hot desk if you do get investigated ?

As per the insurance, is it indemnity insurance that is erquired or public liability ?

Advertising on a website, does this mean that if one owns a website you advertise your services or perhaps advertise your services on those owned by friends ?

Thanks in advance.

[malvolio]

This might be a good point to remind everyone of the following web page...

Public Sector Review & Controlling Persons

HTH

[captainham]

This might be a good point to remind everyone of the following web page...

Public Sector Review & Controlling Persons

HTH

I can't read that again, it makes me too angry. Basically, if you're medium/high risk, all you need is a contract review to confirm you're outside IR35. Never mind working practices and everything else that goes with being outside IR35...

[IR35FanClub]

Well, looking into this further, it seems fairly easy for normal contractors to be considered low risk, and avoid IR35 being enforced.

1. Rent hot desk space and agree working from home in principle - Cost around £500 p.a.

2. Pay for Public Liability Insurance - Cost around £400 p.a.

3. Advertise on Web site - Cost around £1200 p.a.

So all in, to put you in Low risk category of IR35, costs around £2k, and saves paying up to 45% of income in extra taxes. However, if you and some friends advertise on each others web sites, for £1,200 a year each, you have a revenue stream too, as well as fulfilling your obligations, so it's only going to cost you £900 odd to remove the risk.

Until they change the goalposts again.

Or you could decide that necessarily spending £1,900 a year on business expenses to avoid paying tax is a waste of money, walk away and get a contract in the private sector. Which is exactly what I've just done. I've taken a month off in between though - which I've been promising myself for 5 years! In this day and age insisting you have premises and advertise is an epic demonstration of what happens when you design by committee.

If they stop messing about with these rules or decide to sort the tax system and abandon NI and go to flat rate tax - then I might think about working for them again. Too bad - I've got a niche set of skills that every gov org I've worked for finds it hard to recruit for. Likewise the other chaps I've worked with have all walked. Now they are going to have to hunt extra hard. Luckily the market is good now, so I'm seeing the gov job rates climbing to try and attract people. If they go another 20% I'll be happy to be inside IR35.