Part time, minimal contracting - which way to go?

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Many will want / need you to be doing more / longer contracts with them to meet their criteria - make sure you give them some details about your exact situation when you are talking to them.

I've never used an umbrella service, but if I did, it would be PAYE Umbrella Companies for UK Contractors | Contractor Umbrella Company - give LIsa a ring and see whether they can help you out.

Thanks TF Provided the contracts were 6 weeks plus we'd certainly be able to help

[speling bee]

Thanks for all your replies. I will not be earning anywhere near £30k. It will be around £5k - 6k per contract and I will be doing 1 or 2 per year. This is really just to keep my hand in and earn a bit of extra beer money as I do not actually need to do it to be able to live. They will not accept me as a sole trader. My current pension payments take me over the tax allowance so everything will be taxed and I need to be careful not to earn too much and go into the 40% tax bracket. I agree that paying into another pension fund would be tax efficient but that would then "rob" me of the extra beer money I would be earning (if you see what I mean)
It sounds like I would be better with an umbrella company. Does anyone have any recommendations of any which you have used?

Cheers

Keith

Why not a Ltd? No PAYE, no VAT, minimal expenses. Get a local accountant to give you a fixed price for end of year accounts. It's not that much hassle.

[d000hg]

Would a local accountant handle all that RTI bumpf?

Also you presumably wouldn't necessarily even take a salary in this context but extract money purely as dividends when there is some... is that a problem?

[TheFaQQer]

Would a local accountant handle all that RTI bumpf?

Yes. But why would you bother with payroll?