Another one from the IR

[meridian]

My answer is simple and would put an end to all this uncertainty and nonsense. Allow contractors who genuinely operate as owner managed businesses exempt from IR35 but who clearly don't intend to grow their business (let's face it hardly any contractors are ambitious to do this) to freelance as owner managed businesses just like any other sole trader. I've never been comfortable with the idea of one man bands having a limited - it's unnatural and unlike any other business in the real world. Having a limited is only suitable for building a business based on reputation.

I disagree with this - you appear to be looking at the contractor/ltd argument from a solely IT point of view, and not for the first time imo.

There are many reasons why a one man band contractor would decide to operate as a limited company, "limited" being the main one (and I'm not just thinking of IT contractors). My parents have operated the family business as a limited for more years than I care to remember, in the 'real world', and they're drainage contractors.

[Ivor1]

And if this change goes through what are they going to waste this extra £ on, all this extra money and what has improved nothing apart from MP expenses and Salaries.

They are continually moving the goal posts for contractors in an unfair manor. All labour have done for me is,

1. Make me feel like a criminal and hold a cloud of uncertainty over my life.

2. Make me feel like Im risking my life everyday comming to work on the tube.

Im really questioning contracting now, I want to knee el gordo in the balls, hard, a couple of times, then ...

[Troll]

Im really questioning contracting now, I want to knee el gordo in the balls, hard, a couple of times, then ...

Suprisingly tame - most here want his head on a spike alongside Blair's by traitors gate

[meridian]

Drainage contractors that depend on maintaining a good reputation to stay in business?

To stay in business? Nope. To make business far easier than having a bad reputation? Absolutely. But that's not the reason they chose to go limited. It's your opinion, remember, that having a limited is only suitable for building a business based on reputation. Other contractors see different uses for the ltd vehicle.

Ask any Ansell (or Gretal) commercial lawyer if its worth suing for slander should some uppity middle manager terminate us early sullying our 'reputation'. Most would say no - in fact all, I would say. Mainly due to cost which would be prohibative. The other reason is because the judges couldn't really put a price on what we have lost and would conceivably conclude that we are merely suffering from a wounded ego and loss of fees not reputation. That's the issue with reputation.

How does this square with the (excellent) advice provided to zamzummim? The point of suing for slander or threatening to do so isn't usually to win damages, but to recover the reputation and therefore to go to the next contract with a clean slate.

[shoes]

Does anyone have any suggestions of countries to emmigrate to where :

1, tax rules are not changing every 5 mins
2, you can get a decent wedge take home with IT contracting relative to cost of living
3, you're unlikely to encounter hostility from the locals due to being a foreigner 'coming over here taking our jobs'
4, english speaking, at least in the work environment

?

[Troll]

Does anyone have any suggestions of countries to emmigrate to where :

1, tax rules are not changing every 5 mins
2, you can get a decent wedge take home with IT contracting relative to cost of living
3, you're unlikely to encounter hostility from the locals due to being a foreigner 'coming over here taking our jobs'
4, english speaking, at least in the work environment

?

If we knew- we would already be there by now

[snaw]

US

1, tax rules are not changing every 5 mins - check
2, you can get a decent wedge take home with IT contracting relative to cost of living - pretty much nope (COntracting that is, permie not that much better either)
3, you're unlikely to encounter hostility from the locals due to being a foreigner 'coming over here taking our jobs' - nope
4, english speaking, at least in the work environment - check

Australia

1, tax rules are not changing every 5 mins - check (As far as I remember)
2, you can get a decent wedge take home with IT contracting relative to cost of living - sort of, but you get taxed tuliploads more and earn a fraction of what you get here.
3, you're unlikely to encounter hostility from the locals due to being a foreigner 'coming over here taking our jobs' - check
4, english speaking, at least in the work environment - check

Holland

1, tax rules are not changing every 5 mins - nope
2, you can get a decent wedge take home with IT contracting relative to cost of living - nope
3, you're unlikely to encounter hostility from the locals due to being a foreigner 'coming over here taking our jobs' - nope
4, english speaking, at least in the work environment - mostly, check.

From what I've seen.

BTW This, if it happens, is complete bollox. WTF does is that GB fecker always out to get us?

[BoredBloke]

I've just written to my Labour MP asking for him to tell me how this sits with Browns encouraging enterprise comments. www.writetothem.com

It might be handy for others to do this, especially those in a tory seat or a marginal seat!

[andy]

Does anyone have any suggestions of countries to emmigrate to where :

1, tax rules are not changing every 5 mins
2, you can get a decent wedge take home with IT contracting relative to cost of living
3, you're unlikely to encounter hostility from the locals due to being a foreigner 'coming over here taking our jobs'
4, english speaking, at least in the work environment

?

good ol' USA ??

[Bagpuss]

Thanks to the microsoft case that's no longer true