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[jamesbrown]

It doesn't help in this case because the MSC legislation has seriously draconian transfer of debt provisions. This isn't like IR35 where the bar to transferring debt to the individual is very high. Here, it is very low. In my view, it is really nothing more than an inconvenience for HMRC, but they don't...

[jamesbrown]

Of course, but that is not what the OP is proposing. The question is about doing both simultaneously not either/or. It is perfectly reasonable to choose one or the other, although there are good reasons why sole trading is not common in professional services (personal liability, liability of clients/agents...

[jamesbrown]

HRMC are likely to take a dim view of any scheme that seeks to separate the same trade into different parts to avoid tax, whether in relation to the VAT threshold or anything else. In short, I don’t think that would be compliant; you freely admit it’s the same trade.

Sole proprietor...

[jamesbrown]

Right, a Reg 80 cannot be issued to a dissolved company but, in principle, there is no escape either for companies closed some time ago or companies that will be closed in the coming years, since a company can be restored and then the debt transferred to individuals involved with the MSC.
...

[jamesbrown]

I think this is a non-issue - I would also push back on that (rather, just do it - they offer advice, sometimes their advice will be debatable, in all instances it is your call).

[jamesbrown]

But this is why they are issuing protective assessments for 17/18. The time limit has been met and you can be pretty sure it will continue to be met for subsequent tax years too. For accountants other than the ones caught up here, the usual time limits to assess will apply, of course....

[jamesbrown]

They did indeed say this or, rather, Markel Tax said it, but I think they’re wrong. HMRC can have a company restored to the register and the transfer of debt provisions in the MSC legislation make it worthwhile (i.e., there is not the normal high bar to transferring the debt)....

[jamesbrown]

No, he said in Parliament that he attended no parties. This is a picture of him at a party a few days before declaring those words in Parliament. This isn't about a nuanced or evolving interpretation of the rules and there is really no room to make it about that. All except the Boris fanboys/girls (including...

[jamesbrown]

Nope, that was his "9 minute" birthday party, a different one. The Met is pretty hopeless. Not that it really matters, because it's mainly politics now and it looks like he lied to Parliament, which puts him in an untenable position. He may be a greased piglet, but there ain't a plausible...

[jamesbrown]

Whoops. Just lying to Parliament, should be fine.

https://www.itv.com/news/2022-05-23/...uring-lockdown

...

[jamesbrown]

Refusing to leave Maccy D’s? That’ll be our resident blimp, MF.

[jamesbrown]

Nice one. Yeah, it varies. Sometimes you need to go search engine shopping For example, if it doesn't work with Google, try Bing. They probably allow a certain number of forwards per search engine per IP address per month, something like that. Sometimes the link works through the "News"...

[jamesbrown]

Moral rights is a bit weird in this context, though. It's akin to copyright, but is used to additionally protect the name/reputation of a creator of some content, rather than merely the content itself....

[jamesbrown]

Right, no surprises to anyone in the know, but it's a pretty decent summary of the state of things (with commentary from a lot of the usual suspects)....

[jamesbrown]

Very long article in the FT today looking at the IR35 reforms and freelancer tax more generally:

https://www.ft.com/content/adb1742a-...f-674b3be37cda

For those without a subscription, use your favorite search engine, "Freelance tax reforms leave traps for the...

[jamesbrown]

One new pair per year, but quarterly changes for hygiene, obvs....

[jamesbrown]

As I said earlier in this thread, it is one thing to hire someone to do work that would be more expensive to complete yourself (because you charge your clients more than your accountant charges you for the time that would otherwise have been spent). That's just commercial sense or, at least, it was...

[jamesbrown]

The common thread is that they were all in MF's cellar at some point over the last six months.

[jamesbrown]

Are you really going to do that for the next N years though, plus when the NI demands come through? There is nothing wrong with making the payments on account if you have the money, I suppose, but the recent demands are just the tip of the iceberg - these will end up being much larger amounts. Also,...

[jamesbrown]

I only work direct. There are basically two ways to get direct contracts. To do this consistently, both require that you are a specialist, not a generalist.

The first is networking, building a contact list of clients who you've supplied in the past or who will provide recommendations to...