Sunday Times seeks case-study: why are you self-employed?

[BolshieBastard]

Jeez, some people just seem to want to piss people off all the time and miss the chance to explain our problems, difficulties as well as differences between professions.

[vetran]

I rather think we fit the description of what he means, and furthermore I think you know it. The OP might clarify of course whether it was an issue of terminology or not just to be sure.

well it might be nice for someone to explain to the world why the different structures are used and maybe champion those forced into self employment by large companies to cut costs (hint its not normally IT contractors).

Imagine a public that understood IT contractors don't become limited companies to avoid tax but are actually forced into it because HMRC previously pursued clients & agencies for unpaid tax incurred by their self employed supplier therefore no agency or client in their right mind would hire self employed people long for fear of being billed for their tax & NI.

That the government solution to companies forcing people into ltd companies ' the Friday to Monday scenario' - IR35 attacks the Employee not the employer and its so poorly drafted it took years of tribunals to get a working understanding and it still spawns tribunals.

I used to be a contractor with multiple customers but when the Government of the time imported ICTs in quantity and we had a dotcom crash I took a nice PAYE job I sort of got stuck in. So I'm not your man. Good luck though and ignore the ribbing some folks like radiators & Gladiators.

[d000hg]

It might be nice if IT contractors stopped being so defensive everytime the phrase "self-employed" is used. To Joe Public, a guy starting a company for his freelance work is self-employed, and probably quite admired rather than viewed as a tax dodger. It's when someone seems to be doing a regular job, but getting paid to their company, that it looks odd to the untrained eye.

We (most of us) DO fit the spirit of being self-employed. We don't think "I want to start a business" we think "I want to be in charge of my own destiny, find my own work, and get well paid for my skills" - then we find we pretty much have to start a company in order to achieve that goal.

[cojak]

Wasn't cojak in the Times a few years back?

Yep, it was a 'fluff' space filler. There was some confusion when in came to take the photo. They were expecting to to take it in 'my' office. When I explained that I wasn't my office it was my client and they only approve client photography you could hear the 'whoosh'.

So they took it outside the Wesley chapel on City Road (it didn't turn out too badly).

[SimonMac]

Yep, it was a 'fluff' space filler. There was some confusion when in came to take the photo. They were expecting to to take it in 'my' office. When I explained that I wasn't my office it was my client and they only approve client photography you could hear the 'whoosh'.

So they took it outside the Wesley chapel on City Road (it didn't turn out too badly).

Linky? (via PM)

[SimonMac]

It might be nice if IT contractors stopped being so defensive everytime the phrase "self-employed" is used. To Joe Public, a guy starting a company for his freelance work is self-employed, and probably quite admired rather than viewed as a tax dodger. It's when someone seems to be doing a regular job, but getting paid to their company, that it looks odd to the untrained eye.

We (most of us) DO fit the spirit of being self-employed. We don't think "I want to start a business" we think "I want to be in charge of my own destiny, find my own work, and get well paid for my skills" - then we find we pretty much have to start a company in order to achieve that goal.

Wouldn't it be better that if we are to be represented in the media, we are represented correctly.

[cojak]

Linky? (via PM)

It's probably behind a paywall now.

[NickFitz]

Wouldn't it be better that if we are to be represented in the media, we are represented correctly.

Perhaps this could be achieved by people getting off their high horses about the terminology surrounding their tax arrangements, and actually responding to the journalist?

[Gibbon]

Yep, it was a 'fluff' space filler.

You were a fluffer? or

[mudskipper]

Linky? (via PM)

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...ays-times.html