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

[Batcher]

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?

Maybe when HMRC get off their high horses about the terminology, we can too.

You would think a journalist (a wordsmith, if you will) writing an article about self-employment would know the differences terminology can make?

[TheFaQQer]

You would think a journalist (a wordsmith, if you will) writing an article about self-employment would know the differences terminology can make?

Given his background (editor of the Financial Mail on Sunday, former City analyst, former editor of the Observer business section) you would hope that he understands the difference.

[d000hg]

Maybe when HMRC get off their high horses about the terminology, we can too.

You would think a journalist (a wordsmith, if you will) writing an article about self-employment would know the differences terminology can make?

But there isn't a single word which encompasses sole traders, freelancers, 1-man contractor companies, and umbrella-based contractors... the single best umbrella term for a headline and to the public - who don't really care - surely is "self-employed" in the sense of "don't have a boss".

[MarillionFan]

The Sunday Times is seeking to speak to - and probably picture - an IT contractor who used to be in a staff job and who is now self-employed. This could be someone whose job was done away with - and that was the trigger for the person's becomng self-employed. This would be for a more general piece on the changing nature of employment in the UK to run in this weekend's paper. It would be necessary to speak to the person concerned today, Thursday. If able to help, please contact Ben Laurance on [email protected]

I used to be a contractor and decided to go back to a proper job. I was disgusted at how easy it was to avoid paying proper tax & what a bunch of cowboys / Tax dodgers there are in the IT Contractor industry. I couldn't live with myself & decided I needed to help society by paying my tax.

Why not do a piece on the IT Contractors on here who went to a Jimmy Carr show and expensed it.

[TheFaQQer]

But there isn't a single word which encompasses sole traders, freelancers, 1-man contractor companies, and umbrella-based contractors... the single best umbrella term for a headline and to the public - who don't really care - surely is "self-employed" in the sense of "don't have a boss".

According to IPSE, the "self-employed" are workers who do not have an employee - something I don't think many of us here would use to define themselves.

So, if there is confusion between what the term "self-employed" means, perhaps accuracy would be the important factor rather than convenience.

[vetran]

The correct description is surely

'IT contracting businessmen'

or if you are HMRC

'Dissguised Employees'.

[mudskipper]

But there isn't a single word which encompasses sole traders, freelancers, 1-man contractor companies, and umbrella-based contractors... the single best umbrella term for a headline and to the public - who don't really care - surely is "self-employed" in the sense of "don't have a boss".

What's wrong with freelancer?

[TheFaQQer]

What's wrong with freelancer?

Independent consultant is how I usually describe what I do.

[d000hg]

What's wrong with freelancer?

Freelancer implies a more piecewise approach to work.

[SimonMac]

Why not do a piece on the IT Contractors on here who went to a Jimmy Carr show and expensed it.

Research mate innit!