Contractors’ Questions: What does ‘proper care and judgement’ involve while I’m on furlough?

Seven duties sum up what directors should be doing whenever furloughed between now and April 2021.

IR35 and 2020: a torrid year for contractors, in review

What’s been on the status front, and what shan’t now repeat itself.  Hopefully.

Moving from limited company to umbrella, agency or client payroll

A permanent job will be on the Christmas list of many a contractor, this year much more than most.

Contractors’ Questions: Can I self-isolate less after returning from a covid-risky country?

England expects every high-risk returnee to now spend only 10 days indoors, down from 14.

‘Thousands’ of IR35-hit contractors face Loan Charge crisis rerun

Alert over history repeating itself, partly as you ‘sold your soul to the devil’ by forming a limited company.

Loan charge experts reveal litany of problems since Morse Review

A ‘good but could do so much better’ assessment of HMRC belies a lot of still ‘gross’ goings-on.

Flexible pensions for contractors from Raindrop

Flexible pensions for contractors from Raindrop

Contractors cleared of skewing CEST results, thanks to HMRC data

Taxman will have a task accusing PSCs of gaming the system to get desirable outcomes, experts suggest.

Using a UK limited company abroad after Brexit: 11th hour overview

Barring a last-minute miracle, the conditions for PSC contractors to work overseas look choppy.

Overhaul CEST for its 189,000 'unable to determine' results, HMRC told

Taxman’s tool to decide contractor IR35 status is indecisive almost a fifth of the time.

Lords committee to probe Loan Charge in wake of Morse Review

Questions about independence will likely be fired but, under wraps at HMRC, they may have been answered already.

How to use Zoom to ace your next contractor job interview

And how to avoid being remembered as the goofy techie who was a rabbit in the headlights.

Contractors’ Questions: What about health insurance for a contract in Canada?

Disappointment for a contractor off to Ottawa, hoping the UK’s double-taxation treaty covers his medical cover.

IR35 reform: 'Unprecedented' to pass a law while fearing it was likely defective

Jesse Norman admits it’s an episode he’s never heard of before, and has no appetite to repeat.

IT contractor demand defies coronavirus lockdown by growing, marginally

November took the momentum out from the temp tech market’s recovery, but billings are still up.

Restoring the wrongful trading waiver is a U-turn PSCs will welcome, but it far from cuts it

Now may be the calm before the storm for limited companies, which it may fall to us IPs to shelter directors from.

What is a Professional Employer Organisation (PEO)?

Understanding umbrellas is key to unlocking an increasingly popular way to contract now and from April.

Top IT contractor skills for 2021

Opinions abound, but there’s five fundamental tech areas which it’s hard to see not dominating.

Is HMRC’s offer to pause ongoing IR35 investigations an olive branch or red herring?

Taxman says he’s checking if you’re ready to restart him probing your status. Is saying ‘no’ really an option?

Contractors, make the most of your festive furlough, with a tax-deductible training course

Honing skills for 2021 must be the most positive, tax-savvy use of a furloughed limited company director’s Christmas time.

VAT pros and cons: When contractors should and shouldn’t register for Value Added Tax

Following on from part one, everything else PSCs need to know about VAT (includes IR35 and laptops).

IR35 experts take Treasury’s £740m delay figure with a pinch of salt

An official forecast is downgraded to an ‘estimate.’ And then downgraded from that to ‘finger in the air guesswork.’

HMRC warns contractors on take-home pay, as ‘second wave of IR35 reform’s impact’ hits

Don’t be like Duncan, says the taxman, in a familiar but now off-payroll-charged message.

Agency kickbacks: when contractors use their recruiter’s PSL umbrella company

An overview for PSCs of two decades-old arrangements, still in place and operating amid the new landscape.

Contractors’ Questions: Should I name and shame recruiters who don’t come back to me?

What you should do (in the current climate), is only go forward in week one -- and that's assuming you tick every box.

Taxman refires IR35 cases, albeit just for contractors who are ‘ready’

A welcome approach, or ‘particularly inappropriate?’ Or is it worse -- enough to ‘push PSCs over the edge?’

Chancellor faces three searching Loan Charge questions

MPs with a track-record of holding HMRC to account get to quiz Rishi Sunak.

Contractors, the securest legal challenge yet against Loan Charge 2019 is going ahead

‘With leave to bring Judicial Review granted, we’re one step closer to contractors not being sacrificed on an altar of administrative convenience.’

Spending Review 2020: Defiant chancellor reveals IR35 reform delay cost a ‘shocking’ £740million

An unapologetic Rishi Sunak fails to help contractor companies that indirectly lost his Treasury an ‘eye-watering’ sum of revenue.  

Spending Review 2020: chancellor’s full speech

Claiming to be ‘delivering on the priorities of the British people,’ Rishi Sunak says the economic emergency has only just begun.

IR35: the small company exemption - everything off-payroll contractors need to know

Seeking out ‘small’ clients might not provide PSCs with the desired escape, as their ‘old friend’ of 2000 is hard to shake off.

Spending Review 2020: 'Desperate, excluded limited companies deserve at least a nod'

Even if it’s difficult, or DISS isn’t ready, let PSCs know that income support from the pandemic is your aim, Burnham tells Sunak.

Covid-19: Work from home guidance needs improving, government admits

A plan to return to the tiered approach includes the strong suggestion that ‘WfH’ lost its novelty in November.

Covid-19: Millions going without income support helps 'Gaps in Support' become largest APPG

Ten parts of the population being overlooked surges the membership of a new parliamentary group fighting for ‘Ltd directors.'

Contractors' Questions: Can umbrella companies just say 'no' to furlough?

No legal obligation to use the CJRS doesn’t detract from the duty employers feel to support their staff.

Becoming a Masterful Speechwriter

It isn’t easy to be a terrific writer. It can be particularly hard to be able to write strong speeches. If you’re an aspiring speechwriter, you may feel as though you have your work cut out for you. Thankfully, mastering the art of speechwriting may be a lot less elusive than you imagine.

Be like Roger Wolfson. This acclaimed television writer gets to the point. He’s like so many of the greats in that he doesn’t overwhelm audience members with information overload ever. If you want people to be able to easily follow your speech, it can help you to break it up into a handful of basic ideas. Refrain from cramming your speech with fluff. Prioritize the topics that matter the most. Visit Wolfson on LinkedIn for additional inspiration.

Emulate your natural talking style. Some of the most capable speechwriters are the ones who take the natural and fluid approach. That means that they pen speeches in line with their natural talking styles. If you want listeners to be able to relate to the concepts you’re trying to get across, then you have to communicate like a living and breathing human being. Resist the urge to use overly complicated words. Make sure your enunciation is natural, too. If you portray yourself in a stiff and robotic manner, then you may risk seriously alienating the people you’re attempting to reach.

Be vivid. People appreciate things that are tangible. Some of the most compelling speeches in the world are the ones that are brimming with things that listeners can easily and swiftly grasp. Don’t confuse people with overly flowery and poetic sentences that may leave them scratching their heads in pure bewilderment. Talk to them using clear facts and logic. Provide people with vivid concepts that they can relate to fully.

Keep your sentences on the brief side. The reality is that many people these days have attention spans that are decidedly brief. That’s the reason it can be a huge mistake to saddle speech listeners with sentences that are overly lengthy. Conciseness is a rare and beautiful thing in the writing sector. If you want to give your audience a speech that conveys your message in a straightforward and thorough manner, then you have to resist the urge to bore listeners with sentences that seem to go on for ages.

Just say no to vagueness. Vagueness is a common issue in the speech realm. It’s also one that can bring on lasting harm. If you want to hook people in using your speech, you have to see to it first that they genuinely comprehend every single word that comes out of your mouth. That means that you have to leave vagueness at the front door. Entice people with words that make them think and picture things. If your speech is all about vague and faraway concepts that people cannot easily or realistically picture, it may put everyone to sleep instantly.

Identify your aim before doing anything else. It can a huge mistake to try to pen any kind of speech without identifying your primary aim in advance. If you’re not aware of what you want your speech to do for you, then you cannot be too surprised when it ends up not achieving much for you at all. If you want your speech to shine, then you have to be able to define what you want from it beforehand.

Get fully acquainted with all of your audience members. It isn’t uncommon at all for speechwriters who lack much experience to make the mistake of failing to research them at length. If you want to be able to strike a chord, then you have to know exactly who you’re communicating with, plain and simple. Study up on your audience members’ daily lifestyles, overall goals, pastimes, wishes—the whole nine yards. If you know your audience like the back of your hand, then you’ll be able to anticipate all of the topics that are most relevant to them. You will be able to cross off all of the topics that make them want to yawn as well.

Rehearsals can be priceless. Practice reciting your speech aloud. If you hear yourself saying things, then you may be able to decide whether they sound “correct” to you.

Off-payroll reality check: What contractors, agencies and clients aren’t getting about IR35 reform

New tools, new labels and new consultancies -- all should come with a heath warning if you don’t wish to be an April 6th fool.

Man found with £17,000 in cash arrested over ‘Bounce Back Loan fraud’

Watch fanatic becomes the face of BBL fraud, just as time runs out for a director and his secretary.

VAT as a limited company: Value Added Tax overview for PSCs

Get bang up-to-date with the 1973 levy which, despite its long-winded name, needn’t be complicated.

Government criticised for banning furloughing umbrella companies from charging a margin

Even just half our normal fee will do, say ‘high and dry’ umbrellas, urging Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson for urgent cover.

Limited company furlough scheme users face public ‘naming and numbering’

Taxman to publish names, values and numbers of CJRS claimants from December.

HMRC fraud alert over Mini-Umbrella Companies endorsed

It’s right of the Revenue to tell contractors how to spot a MUC, says Professional Passport.

Limiting your late payment risk in the pandemic: a contractor's cash flow covid-survival guide

Inoculating your cash flow against covid-19 unfortunately just isn’t a thing. So get practical, in the extreme.

All You Need to Know Before Buying Stock

A stock is an investment or security that showcases ownership of shares in a company. By purchasing a company’s stock, you will purchase a small part of the company. If you want to purchase some stocks, there are a few things you need to know.

You should understand what is insider trading, how to identify the best companies to invest in, and the different types of stocks. Educating yourself about the stock exchange will assist you in understanding the market and the best investments.

To make a living in the stock market, you will either sell your stocks when the price appreciates or wait for the dividends. You should also know that not all companies will pay dividends to their investors. If you would like dividend payments, check the different policies and the payment frequency.

How Does Buying Stock Help the Company

By being on the stock exchange, a company can easily boost its public image and access capital. Most knowledgeable companies can harness stock exchange control to develop and heighten themselves. Here are some of the ways a company will benefit from stock purchases.

Higher Profile

Unlike private companies, most companies on the stock exchange are identifiable and more noticeable. It’s, therefore, easier for these companies to attract more media attention and entice new customers. Achieving this can be hard for private companies since they have to pay for adverts.

Increased Value

Companies in the stock exchange have more esteem than private ones. Buying their stock allows them to list higher in the exchange, thus pleasing their shareholders. The increased appraisal assists the company not only in growth but also in remaining profitable.

Higher Securities Collateral Value

Buying the stocks of a company means that most moneylenders can tolerate them due to their securities’ values. Attaining more capital for new opportunities can therefore be a walk in the park for some listed companies. Besides, they can learn from other financial establishments as their value rises.

Access to Capital

The key issue that most companies face is the unavailability of cheap capital. After enlisting in the stock exchange, this all changes for a company because it’s easier to raise more affordable capital quicker. They will achieve this by providing their stakeholders with more shares.

Enhancing Corporate and Branding Value

Most public companies will work towards following fair practices. In return, they can attain more clients since they can showcase everything they do with the funds. A listed company will follow security laws since they don’t want any legal measures that might lead to de-listing, fine, halt, or suspension of securities.

How Does Buying Stock Help the Investor

Investing in stocks can be risky, but it will have many advantages to an investor. Taking advantage of the stick market can assist you in earning some money and securing your financial position. Here are more reasons why you should purchase stock.

Dividend Income

Not all stocks provide dividends to their investors. However, for those that do, you will enjoy some annual payments. You will receive these payments even if the stock lost its value. For most investors, dividends can help purchase more stocks and enlarge your investment portfolio or fund retirement.

Ownership

Buying stocks means that you own a part of the company. Investing in the stock market indicates that you wind up becoming one of the business owners. Therefore, you can participate in some crucial company decisions like voting on certain business decisions or corporate board members. Owning stock can ensure that you can express your loyalty.

Investment Gains

When you buy stock, you create a chance of growing your money. In most cases, the stock market will rise in value. However, you will notice that the prices of the individual stocks can fall and rise daily. Investing in stable companies allows you to make some profits. Also, investing in many stocks allows you to create your wealth by leveraging growth in many parts of the economy.

Diversification

Investing in the stock market can provide you with diversification. Most stock market investments will change their value independently. Therefore, when you hold stock, you can weather losses to any other investment products. Stocks will provide you with chances of large, rapid gains and risks. Coming up with conservative investment strategies will allow you to avoid risk.

Contractors’ Questions: Is overseas contracting dead, with Germany, Sweden and Denmark now on UK quarantine list?

Radical changes to work abroad don’t signify the death of international contracting, especially as workplaces are going the way of the contractor.

Finance Bill 2021 will exempt umbrella contractors from IR35 off-payroll rules – Norman

It comes from ‘that’ minister, but a statement confirming intermediaries aren’t brollies or agencies is welcomed as a ‘good start.’

IT contractor jobs market on track for quick recovery after second covid lockdown

Agents’ talk of 'rhythm,' 'prep' and 'adaptability' smacks of a bounce back for temporary techies.

Covid-19 pushes HMRC call waiting time targets further out of reach

Taxman asks for empathy amid the pandemic, despite missing the same goals last year too.