Clueless agents (nothing new there!)

[BlueSharp]

I'm taking a look at the market at the moment and have had a chat with a couple of agents, none yet can tell me what the clients ir35 determination is. A six month new contract now would probably have the last payment post April so subject to the new rules. What is the general consensus, get a contract review with an outside IR35 determination operate as normal and deal with any change in determination at the time? If I stay on with an inside determination at a later date then re-account for that period as inside ir35?

[oliverson]

I'm taking a look at the market at the moment and have had a chat with a couple of agents, none yet can tell me what the clients ir35 determination is. A six month new contract now would probably have the last payment post April so subject to the new rules. What is the general consensus, get a contract review with an outside IR35 determination operate as normal and deal with any change in determination at the time? If I stay on with an inside determination at a later date then re-account for that period as inside ir35?

Any new contract or extension of 6 months duration starting round about now will fall under the new rules. I've been ignoring approaches from agents as my contract isn't up until the end of February but I'm tempted to follow some of these leads just to establish how my usual sector (banking/finance, London) is dealing with it.

[BlueSharp]

Any new contract or extension of 6 months duration starting round about now will fall under the new rules. I've been ignoring approaches from agents as my contract isn't up until the end of February but I'm tempted to follow some of these leads just to establish how my usual sector (banking/finance, London) is dealing with it.

Current stance is the contract is a 3 month rolling so it's not subject to the rules yet, the can is well and truly kicked down the road. The rates are near the top end so reading between the lines these will become inside roles.

Personally I think Q1 2020 will see a surge of inside roles being advertised as companies put succession plans into place as contractors leave because of the determination, You would seriously need to your head checked to switch from outside to in and have a large tax liability hanging over your head.

The agents will be lining their pockets for sure.

[Paralytic]

Any new contract or extension of 6 months duration starting round about now will fall under the new rules. I've been ignoring approaches from agents as my contract isn't up until the end of February but I'm tempted to follow some of these leads just to establish how my usual sector (banking/finance, London) is dealing with it.

I'm in a similar situation - current contract till December, looking like it will be extended till end of Feb. I still regularly get invites on LinkedIn (despite my "open to offers" setting being off) and have been testing things by asking those where the contract goes beyond March 2020 what the IR35 position is. The general response is silence...

[southernladuk]

I'm in a similar situation - current contract till December, looking like it will be extended till end of Feb. I still regularly get invites on LinkedIn (despite my "open to offers" setting being off) and have been testing things by asking those where the contract goes beyond March 2020 what the IR35 position is. The general response is silence...

So either the agents don't know or they don't wish to say at present. Would it be so terrible if come April end client determines your inside, but the rate offered reflected that change in tax liability?

There will likely have to be a 20-30% rate increase to offset at least some of the burden on the contractors side. No doubt that the agencies will be lining their pockets though.

[Paralytic]

So either the agents don't know or they don't wish to say at present. Would it be so terrible if come April end client determines your inside, but the rate offered reflected that change in tax liability?

There will likely have to be a 20-30% rate increase to offset at least some of the burden on the contractors side. No doubt that the agencies will be lining their pockets though.

I simply can't see that happening (in general). Contractors will be asked to accept moving inside on the same rate, go perm or leave.

[JohntheBike]

I've just been asked whether I'd be prepared to take on an additional role, initially for 3 months from Jan 2020, on another platform that I have experience of. The current incumbent is retiring at the end of this year, although he might be invited back after a short break. There has been no official announcement as to the situation from April 2020, other than rumour, which suggests that the client is considering the issues carefully, whatever that means. So some hope there that pragmatism will prevail.

[northernladuk]

A contractor is backfilling a permie thast is retiring? You being asked to do different work outside the scope of what you do? Is that BAU support as well?

Guess all this is irrelevant because you are untouchable aren't you.

How long have you been doing that 'contract' again?

And what does this have to do with clueless agent?

[JohntheBike]

A contractor is backfilling a permie thast is retiring? You being asked to do different work outside the scope of what you do? Is that BAU support as well?

Guess all this is irrelevant because you are untouchable aren't you.

How long have you been doing that 'contract' again?

in your haste to be derisory, you make assumptions which are not correct. The incumbent is also a contractor. The role is in addition to my current duties and is indeed a support role.

As far as being untouchable is concerned, clearly I will have the option to retire post March 2020 if I'm not happy wit the situation, and if HMRC come calling for historical contracts, I guess by tax investigation insurance would give me some assistance and given that my contract has been professionally judged as not subject to the Intermediaries Legislation, I guess HMRC would not find it easy to prove otherwise.

Contract length has little or no bearing on employment status, but just for the record, it will effectively be 19 years in December. However, there have been a number of clients and agencies and locations involved over the years, but one client, whose parent company changed a few times, has remained all that time.

and perhaps it could have been posted elsewhere, but I was just pointing out that my client doesn't seem to be clueless. Feel free to move the post to a more appropriate thread.

[northernladuk]

Just delete it.