Reply to: State of the Market

[WTFH]

It’s not all doom and gloom out there. Currently have two clients, one wants me to extend for 20% of my time over the next 6 months. The other has agreed to 80% for 6 months then 100% for the remainder of a project - they are suggesting mid 2027. Rate is at a level that my company is happy with and will be reviewed on an annual basis each March.
Just required skills, professionalism and politeness.

I think I’ll have a banana split.

[northernladuk]

Applied to new JSA today. Not sure if I'm eligible or not, but we'll find out.

There's some confusion on if they require a P45, since I can't really fire myself from my own company...

It's a bloody disgrace if you are and a disgrace you think you are.

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

You can give youself a P45, done it before when switching to brolly for a while while Ltd remained active.

Problem is I have a company car, so it screws that up

[Ketto]

You can give youself a P45, done it before when switching to brolly for a while while Ltd remained active.

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

Applied to new JSA today. Not sure if I'm eligible or not, but we'll find out.

There's some confusion on if they require a P45, since I can't really fire myself from my own company...

[Ketto]

The retirement countdown posts will start from Monday....

[fatJock]

Yes I am and I've had no offers prior to these two in several months, so how can this be 'the same cycle'?

Seems it to me .... [edit to remove my sarky remark seeing as I don't want to prolong the conversation].

[rocktronAMP]

So far so good. I am getting closer to working again on new contract in December.

Meanwhile, I saw on JobServe a contract/permanent job yesterday

Senior Java Low Latency Algo SME - Java, Low Latency, Equity, London
London - £1k per day Contract/Permanent Posted by: Scope AT Limited
https://www.jobserve.com/gb/en/searc...DF79F0651918F/

There might be someone here who has the necessary skills for it. The gig is specialist, reputable agency, seems genuine. I wondered why is this marketed as Inside IR35? I then thought this is more a consultancy than a standard contractor. Surely, the bank can spare an SDS since it needs the skills, but then it will be another consultancy taking the risk not the bank. I also wondered why would consultant go Inside IR35, they would run their own limited company. Then came the budget ... tough times ahead even for medical doctors / consultants earning over £100,000 and that SIPP will go. The Job Ad did eventually make sense, they are hunting for the vulnerable and the needy: sheez.

[Nothing to see here]

You have a habit of being new and posting 4 times - so at this stage the most likely scenario is you're related to the Clarity structure in some way, such as being involved with the overall holding company or one of the other umbrellas now linked with Clarity.

Anybody staying with them now is mad. Plenty of UK located umbrellas to trust.

I am new here but I've been in the umbrella sector for 20 years plus. I can categorically guarantee that I have no links to Lucy other than having met her a few times at industry events.

I suspect we will be hearing more about the Cypriot firm - it looks like they own half a dozen pretty well known umbrellas. I'm reserving judgement at the moment but my spider senses are tingling.

[Cookielove]

I've used Clarity several times before based on recommendations on here; now I've read this I won't be using them again.

Cyprus based is a no no.

[agentzero]

I'll keep my identity to myself at least for now. I have a habit of saying things that have been unpopular with competitors and I want to be able to continue doing that.

You have a habit of being new and posting 4 times - so at this stage the most likely scenario is you're related to the Clarity structure in some way, such as being involved with the overall holding company or one of the other umbrellas now linked with Clarity.

Anybody staying with them now is mad. Plenty of UK located umbrellas to trust.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Must admit it's a first for me to hear an agent doesn't know what IR35 is. It's been around for 25 years now.

Agreed, it's far more common to find agents who claim they fully understand it and then make some kind of statement like "you can't get expenses off the client if you are outside", or "You can't be outside if you only work for one client" etc.

[SchumiStars]

What do you want to do when you leave school?

I wanna be an influencer.

Innit...

[malvolio]

,,,,,

What is interesting is that the changes in legislation coming down the line in April may have the unintended consequence of INCREASING the use of umbrella companies, especially by clients who currently directly engage contractors as it will mitigate some of the risk for them should an umbrella fail.

So the mitigation of the risk of an umbrella failing is to set up more umbrellas.

Hmmm, makes sense - in a Reevsian kind of way.

And the detail will be in the Green Book, not ITEPA

[jamesbrown]

I'm afraid that there is actually nothing to see here. I don't have any connection to Lucy or Clarity other than having met her a few times over the years. I run another umbrella company (which is fully UK owned by the way).

What is interesting is that the changes in legislation coming down the line in April may have the unintended consequence of INCREASING the use of umbrella companies, especially by clients who currently directly engage contractors as it will mitigate some of the risk for them should an umbrella fail.

But as usual the devil will be in the detail when the Finance Act is published.

Which umbrella company is that? No harm in being transparent...

The short-term is rather unpredictable, but umbrella companies are doomed in the long run because they are so highly contingent on a bizarre nexus of tax and employment law.