Will IT contractors be considered permanent employees after one month on site?

[EmbeddedBob]

Less than 1 month...WTF? Have any of these people done technical work!

I see, they cant cut tax credits because that would upset people who arnt productive and who would moan because they could no longer afford a Sky subscription, so they come after people like me working silly hours a week who could be let go at any time.

And why are Builders a special case?

Lube is mentioned in this thread but it doesn’t matter any more; Ive been raped so many times by government policy in the past (uni fees, housing policy!!!, multiple permi employment...etc) that they probably wownt even touch the sides.

[AtW]

Any time the Government seems intent on pursuing a policy that will inevitably cause them far more electoral harm than good, you can be absolutely sure the EU is behind it.

Wrong.

You can be sure that Govt will blame EU for the policy, but in reality in 90% of cases it would have little to do with EU.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

I realise that we are dealing with HMG and HMRC and therefore this statement may not be wholly appropriate but DON'T PANIC

This has been reported in 2 newspapers but as they are the Guardian and the Daily Mail, I am not sure what's reported is wholly reliable. There has only been a discussion on IR35 to date and I would be surprised if anything this drastic were introduced without a consultation - that would be unusual. It may be that, after 1 month, a declaration would have to be made on IR35 status rather than a contractor having to become part of the workforce of the client - something like this could then be reported via the Agency Reporting Requirements which would make policing IR35 much easier for HMRC. This is just conjecture and I could be wrong but IMHO it would be more typical of HMRC and HMG than to force everyone into permiedom as that would not sit well with big business.

[meanttobeworking]

Your reply makes total sense Lisa, but the one thing that strikes me as odd is IPSE's response which is to email members with a template letter informing them to write to their MP. Either they know something we don't, or they're issuing the advice based on those same news articles. Neither explanation reassures me much.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Your reply makes total sense Lisa, but the one thing that strikes me as odd is IPSE's response which is to email members with a template letter informing them to write to their MP. Either they know something we don't, or they're issuing the advice based on those same news articles. Neither explanation reassures me much.

IPSE may know something we don't - perhaps someone could ask them

[Milkyway]

I realise that we are dealing with HMG and HMRC and therefore this statement may not be wholly appropriate but DON'T PANIC

This has been reported in 2 newspapers but as they are the Guardian and the Daily Mail, I am not sure what's reported is wholly reliable. There has only been a discussion on IR35 to date and I would be surprised if anything this drastic were introduced without a consultation - that would be unusual. It may be that, after 1 month, a declaration would have to be made on IR35 status rather than a contractor having to become part of the workforce of the client - something like this could then be reported via the Agency Reporting Requirements which would make policing IR35 much easier for HMRC. This is just conjecture and I could be wrong but IMHO it would be more typical of HMRC and HMG than to force everyone into permiedom as that would not sit well with big business.

But we do seem to accept as truth whatever that paper says on migration and about immigrants though

Anyway, I have decided on two things so far:

1. Will never vote tories ever again (backstabbing bas***ds); but I don't know who else is an option now! (anybody that really backs entrepreneurism, small and medium businesses, wealth creators (for the UK in the grand scheme of things, and personally too of course), etc? - Answer is None! I thought so!!!!

2. Very importantly: To Vote to be IN EU.
Given all these mess that tories are doing right now (labour can only do worse with more taxes if they come into power), especially the kind one month limit to be a consultant (thanks fuc**ng Gideon), I would want to keep my mobility option open so I can venture into the rest of the EU for setting up business, work etc.
At this rate, if we vote to leave EU, we are stuck with Gideon and Labour for ever, and there wont be 4.6 million extra jobs (for ex-contractors) to go around, not to mention the inflow of offshore consultancies bringing in their lot too.

[dynamicsaxcontractor]

If this goes ahead the UK economy will suffer. The projects I am normally working on lasts for 12-24+ months, it could be quite funny to see how it would work with 24 handovers per role in a project.

Might be a good idea to move abroad before the UK leave the EU. Maybe its time to set up a guide for different countries around the globe to see which ones are contractor friendly.

[MrMarkyMark]

Less than 1 month...

Gonna really fly well at IBs, financial, or other security clearance type, required, roles.
The clearance will take longer than the actual allowed engagement.

[pjt]

Maybe its time to set up a guide for different countries around the globe to see which ones are contractor friendly.

I'd be very interested to see something along those lines. Lets be honest we have a massive target on our backs and its not going away until contractors are wipes out. I don't see any signs of the government softening their stance the latest reports seem to suggest they are actually looking to get worse! I've pretty much got it in my head now that my company has until April 2017 at best before I wind it up. At that point who knows either do something completely different, move abroad or work abroad.

My current niche does not fit a permie role so I suspect I'll either have to go work for a consultancy. I'm not spending the rest of my career being told what I'm doing and in what god awful part of the country they think I can make them the most money in! Been doing this too long to go back to that.

[jamesbrown]

I realise that we are dealing with HMG and HMRC and therefore this statement may not be wholly appropriate but DON'T PANIC

This has been reported in 2 newspapers but as they are the Guardian and the Daily Mail, I am not sure what's reported is wholly reliable. There has only been a discussion on IR35 to date and I would be surprised if anything this drastic were introduced without a consultation - that would be unusual. It may be that, after 1 month, a declaration would have to be made on IR35 status rather than a contractor having to become part of the workforce of the client - something like this could then be reported via the Agency Reporting Requirements which would make policing IR35 much easier for HMRC. This is just conjecture and I could be wrong but IMHO it would be more typical of HMRC and HMG than to force everyone into permiedom as that would not sit well with big business.

Yes, there are various possible interpretations of that one-month figure, so we'll need to await the details, and your suggestion is one of the stronger possibilities (aligns with reports elsewhere about an online test). What concerns me more than the specifics, given the terrible reporting, is the timing and tone of the article as a statement of intent, especially as the IR35 discussion was in its infancy. The impression (particularly given those same reports elsewhere that the IR35 forum is being completely ignored) is that HMT have overridden due process in a panicked attempt to make the numbers appear to add up in the AS.