BIG GROUP

[TonyTucker]

Please count me in.

I work in the City so would be able to pop along to any meeting.

[webberg]

Statistics

The impending actions are going to rely upon a lot of numbers.

In particular one hurdle to overcome is as follows:

HMRC has identified a "tax gap". In their published papers it's presently around £35bn. Of that the "informal economy ) is £7bn. The avoidance part of also around that value.

If a technical argument is found that is a knock out blow that cannot be resisted by HMRC then they will have to handle the fall out of their own PR. They will also come under the hammer from Parliament for getting the sums wrong as I suspect the parties of all colours are banking on this number arriving.

More likely a technical argument arises that is more grey than white, i.e. good chance but not a killer blow.

In that event it would pay us to help HMRC explain the shortfall in the £7bn avoidance pot both internally and externally. (You can imagine the furore that would arise if HMRC just "gave up" this sort of value).

That help I think falls into a few areas.

One is to examine the numbers in the Red Book (HMG's lies - sorry - statistics that support each Budget) and to find ways in which some tax from avoidance can be not collected without damaging the overall picture.

Another is to press for HMRC action against the global firms.

Another is to point to other areas of the tax code that are regularly abused (EIS).

It all however comes down to managing that message about "contractors are not liable for £1bn (or whatever) of the £7bn and therefore not collecting it will do no harm because xxxxx can just sell more coffee."

Do we have any budding statisticians out there who want to take on the Red Book and HMG numbers?

[Penguin]

Non IT sectors

I agree! But surely we won't meet them on Contractor UK... How could we reach out to the non-IT sectors?

I am not an IT contractor and came across this forum when I got my first Discovery Assessment from HMRC and started to do some research into the situation. I guess IT contractors account for a lot of people on here, but the site is called Contractor UK not ITContractor UK.

I guess we could look at where scheme providers (umbrella ones) advertise, e.g. The Salary Calculator - 2015 / 2016 Tax Calculator and recruitment websites? and see if there is a way of advertising/linking to them?

[SimonJones]

I am not an IT contractor and came across this forum when I got my first Discovery Assessment from HMRC and started to do some research into the situation. I guess IT contractors account for a lot of people on here, but the site is called Contractor UK not ITContractor UK.

I guess we could look at where scheme providers (umbrella ones) advertise, e.g. The Salary Calculator - 2015 / 2016 Tax Calculator and recruitment websites? and see if there is a way of advertising/linking to them?

Good point Penguin. Can also try social media!

[squirrel]

HMRC has identified a "tax gap". In their published papers it's presently around £35bn. Of that the "informal economy ) is £7bn. The avoidance part of also around that value

I had a look at their tax gap stats a while ago and I've always wondered if they are total figures or per annum figures?

If it's the former then for £7 billion, £1 billion a year, peanuts in the grand scheme of things, is it really worth them risking the £40k my APN is going to be for when I currently pay just over £20k pa by PAYE every year. If they corner me with an unreasonable TTP I'll quit my job and go on the dole, I'll be no worse off, and they'll get nothing whatsoever.

If it's the latter I've been permie and PAYE for the past seven years so I'm not actually included in that figure anyway and yet they're still after me!

And there will be many more out there just like me ...

[DotasScandal]

I guess IT contractors account for a lot of people on here, but the site is called Contractor UK not ITContractor UK.

I'd say a good 95%. CUK's headline is this:"Contractor UK is home to the UK's IT contracting community."

[webberg]

I'd say a good 95%. CUK's headline is this:"Contractor UK is home to the UK's IT contracting community."

There are publications for other sectors and BIG GROUP will be buying space to advertise in them.

however social media, blogs, local press, notice on the board in big companies, chat in a pub, national press (talking to some journo's next week) etc. try them all.

[DotasScandal]

There are publications for other sectors and BIG GROUP will be buying space to advertise in them.

however social media, blogs, local press, notice on the board in big companies, chat in a pub, national press (talking to some journo's next week) etc. try them all.

Exactly. All members should explore all possible avenues (and, dare I say, the more offline, the better)
We can reach far if we leverage our numbers and personal networks.

[ads1980]

BIG GROUP Twitter

I've set up a twitter account @BIGGROUP2 and pointed the url back to this thread (is that allowed?) I'll do a search on apn this afternoon and see if I can find any people on there.

[Penguin]

I'd say a good 95%. CUK's headline is this:"Contractor UK is home to the UK's IT contracting community."

True!