Comments for Freelance Informer

Comment on “HA-Haw”: Companies that blanket banned freelancers hit hardest by Employers’ NI increase by Matt

Matt — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 06:30:17 +0000

Many genuine contractors forced to use umbrella companies already pay the employers’ NI out of their assignment rate and will unfairly have to shoulder this additional tax burden which according to the govt “does not affect workers at all”. There may be a slight offset of reduced personal tax liability as a result, but many “inside” workers will be worse off, possibly quite significantly. Perhaps some can negotiate rate increases to compensate, but that’s far from guaranteed.

Comment on Law firm urges recruiters to get “houses in order” before freelancers and CMA take action over pay collusion by C

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:38:41 +0000

And the fines will be used to pay compensation to those whose rates were affected, will they?

Comment on IR35: HMRC “downplayed” impact of off-payroll working rules reform on contractors by Harry

Harry — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 12:17:40 +0000

What about the boom of overseas outsourcing companies that was favoured by the off pay-roll rules? How does that benefit HMRC or the UK economy? Employers now favour outsourcing instead of using local contractors to avoid the difficulties of the off payroll rules. Makes you wonder as the off-payroll rules where pushed by Rishi with family’s connection to Infosys.

Comment on Will more banks follow Citigroup’s contractor cull? by Paul Cicero

Paul Cicero — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 08:55:23 +0000

Nothing new here. It is the classic contractor cull when companies are looking to rein-in their costs. Especially, in the aftermath of regulatory penalties. To infer that the use of contractors increases the risk to security and/or quality is derogatory to contractors. And, yes, more banks will follow suit by cutting contractors. It is the current trend and a sign of the economic climate (uncertainty ahead). Many banks and other sectors will follow.

Comment on Freelance Translators Face Existential Crisis Amid AI Boom: should they adapt or make a career change? by Akari Minami

Akari Minami — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 09:24:06 +0000

This blog raises such an important and timely discussion about the challenges faced by freelance translators in the age of AI. Adapting to evolving technologies while valuing human expertise is key, and this post offers valuable insights for navigating this transition.

Comment on The most sought-after job in the UK isn’t what I expected. But it highlights what we all probably want by stephen

stephen — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 20:57:42 +0000

Our work habits have changed so much, especially since the pandemic. People want more quality out of life and that includes work. So the 9 to 5 routine is becoming more of a flexible day for most types of jobs. And that’s what folks want, more flexibility, to get more out of life and not just work to retirement.

I wouldn’t say full-time jobs have shrunk. Maybe not the lower paid ones anyhow. But what people want from a full-time job has changed and so a full-time job must be more than that i.e. just a job that pays – what else can it do?? This means a flexible working pattern, a less rigid corporate structure and less of the politics.

Many people will always prefer the office, albeit freelance or PAYE, if those people prefer not to work at home and in its incoming distractions. And for the camaraderie with other people, needing that sense of belonging around a supportive team. However, remote teams now achieve most of that with video, so I don’t see remote as being synonymous with loneliness.

But then, many prefer to be on their lonesome most of the working day. More people want to run a business in their spare time for a 2nd income. Not everyone has assets like a house. And more people want to be hybrid, i.e. part PAYE and part freelance.

The work patterns have forever changed as the needs of the many certainly do outweigh the needs of companies resisting these changes.

Comment on IR35: HMRC “downplayed” impact of off-payroll working rules reform on contractors by Andrea Allsopp

Andrea Allsopp — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:00:15 +0000

Will someone compare the lost VAT payments alongside the increased TAX received by HMRC. I might well pay a bit more tax and NI if I were working inside IR35, but the loss in VAT would be double that of the extra tax. Since banks and insurers can’t reclaim VAT, the loss to the treasury from VAT registered contractors working in this sector must be huge.

Comment on IR35: HMRC “downplayed” impact of off-payroll working rules reform on contractors by Max Revenew

Max Revenew — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 07:33:08 +0000

Let us remember that HMRC invented the term “personal service company” (PSC) as part of their anti-freelancer propaganda.

Let us also remember that increasing the tax revenue is not of itself a good thing! It merely gives the government more opportunity to waste money that would otherwise be injected into the economy by ordinary working people.

IR35 is and has always been a mess that detracts from the British economy by imposing extra burdens on businesses of all kind while creating opportunities for the unscrupulous.

Comment on UK braces for mass redundancies in coming weeks: How can freelancers prepare? by Paolito

Paolito — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 08:48:40 +0000

The contract market has been getting increasingly more challenging over the last couple of years. Regrettably, Rachel Reeves’ last budget has killed the market stone dead. The start to 2025 is dire. What roles there are have reduced rates. It is ominous for contractors and agencies alike. With all the IR35 complexity and confusion in recent years, contractors have been letdown badly. Permanent role redundancies are coming with inevitable consequences for the jobs market.

Comment on Amazon driver case a “horrendous mess” causing even more confusion in the UK freelance economy by T

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 10:33:20 +0000

Yeah, nice one The trouble is, the job is very under wraps when you apply. Rates advertised are including VAT, but actually, as a sole trader working max 6 days a week (Amazon won't let you schedule a driver for more than 6 consecutive days) it is impossible to earn over the VAT threshold, so this is effectively fraudulent advertising. But you can't get this information until you start working for a DSP, and even then you have to find stuff out. Amazon demand drivers attend weekly meetings but do not pay for them. DSPs rent vehicles out and hide the extortionate fees if drivers have a tiny accident (IE excesses of up to £3000 just for not reporting an incident immediately), and this is recovered directly from their wages. owner drivers like myself have more clout, but the idea for most of the applicants is that they'll use the (advertised) £230 a day (actually £187 max for a large van) to save up for their own van. But then they drove the hire van home from collecting in London or somewhere, and within 48hrs the engine light comes on, and if they report it the excess is £1500, but if the DSP finds out before they report it the penalty excess goes up to £3000 and is recovered weekly from wages, along with the £250 already taken from their earnings for vehicle hire. Once you remove the cost of fuel (Amazon only pay 20p a mile and don't calculate mileage accurately) and addble, oil etc, the drivers are often working for no earnings after deductions. Especially at peak, when the deliveries stop for 2 days over Xmas and at new year, but van hire is still charged daily! It is a form of advertising fraud and modern slavery..Come after me if you like, Amazon. It's disgraceful that the government have turned a blind eye to this for so long.