Do you take out IR35 Insurance?

[russell]

I've heard similar from PCG's expert suppliers, so I agree with QDOS's earlier comment. Investigations are rising and will continue to do so; not having PEI of some form is a bad idea; even if you're solidly outside IR35 it can cost you several thousand just to prove it. And, of course, if you try to represent yourself you will have a fool for a client.

Is there any evidence of this? Given how little it raised from 2007-2011 I very much doubt they started increasing investigations, it would cost them a fortune for very little revenue. The only people pedaling this are people who make profit from people afraid of IR35.

[malvolio]

Is there any evidence of this? Given how little it raised from 2007-2011 I very much doubt they started increasing investigations, it would cost them a fortune for very little revenue. The only people pedaling this are people who make profit from people afraid of IR35.

Nonsense. How much they are recovering is actually irrelevant and HMRC are required to apply the law as it stands regardless. We are talking about dealing with HMRC claiming, rightly or (more usually) wrongly, that you owe them money. They are asking more and more people to prove they are outside IR35. There are roughly 5 new cases a month just on the PCG's books at the moment and have been for a while.

Personally I think that devoting some proportion of my £220 a year PCG subs to protect me from the £15k cost of the average IR35 investigation - one that I fully expect to win, remember - is a no brainer. YMMV.

[SarahL2012]

PCG+

Like most people have said - I try and make sure all my contracts are outside IR35, but I still want the cover there to support me with an investigation

[VectraMan]

I had PCG+. I left 6 months or so after I became a permie, and of course they were keen to point out that I'd be no longer covered for investigations into contracts I'd had when I was a member, and they can go back 6 years. But frankly that feels like such a rip off, I didn't want to continue.

Does QDOS operate some kind of shared scheme? I.e. if HMRC succeeded in changing the rules so that everybody was caught, and were determined to go back 6 years, would everybody get a very small share? Or would QDOS just go bust?

[smatty]

I pay it for peace of mind. Have no faith in HMRC to either apply the rules evenly or to conclude any investigation in a speedy manner, but for the sake of roughly a days fee I don't have to worry about it.

[russell]

Nonsense. How much they are recovering is actually irrelevant and HMRC are required to apply the law as it stands regardless. We are talking about dealing with HMRC claiming, rightly or (more usually) wrongly, that you owe them money. They are asking more and more people to prove they are outside IR35. There are roughly 5 new cases a month just on the PCG's books at the moment and have been for a while.

Personally I think that devoting some proportion of my £220 a year PCG subs to protect me from the £15k cost of the average IR35 investigation - one that I fully expect to win, remember - is a no brainer. YMMV.

Do you directly or indirectly benefit from IR35 insurance or PCG membership payments?

[GlenW]

I don't have IR35 insurance, but I should get it.
After reading this thread and looking at the PCG and QDOS sites becoming a member of the first and taking insurance out with the second are top of my to do list.

[malvolio]

Do you directly or indirectly benefit from IR35 insurance or PCG membership payments?

Well that wins today's stupid question award. Or maybe the most insulting post of the day award.

I'm a member, no more no less. I pay them, not the other way round. You might like to ponder why.

[d000hg]

Can we let that conclude the bickering?

[russell]

Can we let that conclude the bickering?

Fair enough you did ask about it though, can I just ask everyone who signed up for IR35 insurance to PM me though, I have a bridge they may be interested in.