Around 1,500 GlaxoSmithKline contractors have been sent identical letters from HMRC, accusing them of being ‘disguised employees’ – and therefore subject to the IR35 rules.
IR35 Rules
The Intermediaries Legislation was introduced in 2000 to tackle 'disguised employment', where an individual uses a limited company to carry out professional services, but works in a manner more like an 'employee'. Your take home pay will be significantly lower if your contracts fall within its scope.
Off-Payroll Rules
The 'off-payroll' addition to the existing IR35 rules was rolled out across the public sector in April 2017, and the private sector in April 2021.
[Oct 17th 2022] The April 2023 Off-Payroll repeal will no longer happen.
The 'Off Payroll' rules mean that clients (not contractors) are responsible for determining the employment status of contractors. Prior to this, workers themselves were responsible for this determination.
Get started with these IR35 guides
- Start off with our overview of IR35 for a concise guide to the legislation.
- Expert FAQ - Are you 'inside' or 'outside' IR35?
- Try our IR35 tax calculator to find out the financial cost if you are caught.
- Download an IR35 contract template from Qdos
- Why you should consider taking out IR35 insurance.
Calculate how IR35 affects net take home pay
If your contract work is caught by IR35, your tax bill will rise considerably. Here, we use our IR35 calculator to work out the financial impact on contractors earning between £250 and £1000 per day.
Is it worth keeping your limited company if caught by the IR35 off-payroll rules?
If you are caught by the off-payroll IR35 rules, you may decide that there is no point keeping your limited company active. However, this isn’t necessarily the case, as a leading accountant explains.
Expert FAQ – are you ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ IR35?
The basics of IR35 should be understood by everyone in the contracting community at a fundamental level, as the rules have such a profound impact on take-home pay if you are caught. Here, an expert answers our questions on employment status – does your contract fall inside or outside IR35?
Draft private sector IR35 legislation published – industry concerns ignored
The draft legislation which will make the off-payroll private sector IR35 rules law in April 2020 has been published today. With few amendments made, it disregards the concerns expressed by respondents to the recent consultation.
Off-payroll (IR35) – the ‘small company’ exemption – problems lie ahead
When the ‘off-payroll’ IR35 rules are extended to the private sector in April 2020, ‘small companies’ will be excluded as things currently stand. However, the exclusion itself may cause more complications for clients to deal with.
Delay IR35 private sector off-payroll until 2021, experts say
** BREAKING NEWS 17th March 2020 – The Off-Payroll (IR35) private sector changes have been deferred until April 2021 – read more here. ** Many major tax and business groups have called for the IR35 off-payroll private sector reforms to be delayed until at least April 2021, as businesses simply won’t be ready to cope […]
CEST – HMRC’s IR35 status tool – what it does, and why it is flawed
Nothing makes critics of the IR35 ‘off-payroll’ legislation (and there are many) more irate than the mention of CEST – the official online tool which is meant to help determine employment status.
New IR35 private sector consultation launched – same concerns remain
The Government has launched a new consultation on the ‘off-payroll’ private sector IR35 extension. Here we look at what this exercise involves, and what the Treasury hopes to achieve from it.
The key factors which determine your IR35 status
The main factors used to establish whether or not an individual’s contract is caught by IR35 – the most important being Control, Substitution and Mutuality of Obligation. How to ensure that you’re not caught.