Further Contracting News
What can contractors learn from Vince Cable's VAT fine embarassment?
The bad publicity suffered by the Business Secretary over his non-registration for VAT shows the importance of keeping on top of your accounting and legal obligations.
(Oct 27, 2011 in News )
Direct contractors should keep on top of end client invoices as late payment times deteriorate
New data shows that the number of days businesses take to settle their outstanding invoices has increased markedly over the past year, with businesses in the North West the worst offenders.
(Oct 20, 2011 in News )
PCG publishes free Guide to Freelancing e-book
PCG has launched a free Guide to Freelancing, aimed at both start-ups and long-term contractors.
(Oct 14, 2011 in News )
Contractor accountant made bankrupt over unauthorised currency scheme
Accountant Darren Upton, a familiar name in contracting circles, has been made bankrupt by the FSA following the collapse of a collective investment scheme he had been running for contractors.
(Sep 30, 2011 in News )
New iPhone expenses app for IT contractors launched
A new iPhone app, which enables contractors to track and submit their expense and mileage claims online, is now available to download.
(Sep 30, 2011 in News )
Contractors confident despite economic uncertainty
A survey of over 2,000 contractors and freelancers shows that the sector remains impressively confident about the future, despite the threat of continued economic strife.
(Sep 28, 2011 in News )
PCG announces second freelance lecture to mark National Freelancers Day 2011
PCG's second annual freelance lecture will take place on 23rd November, in the LSO St Luke's in London.
(Sep 21, 2011 in News )
Poll shows public support for increased flexible working
A new survey, carried out by two of leading industry organisations, shows that the most people believe that the government should facilitate more flexible working to stimulate the economy.
(Sep 19, 2011 in News )
UK tax system slammed for being inefficient, complex and unfair
The Mirrlees Review has concluded that the UK's tax system is unnecessary complex, inefficient, and often unfair.
(Sep 16, 2011 in News )
Simpler reporting proposals could reduce contractor accountancy costs
New proposals to ease the financial and corporate reporting requirements of small businesses, including most IT contractor companies, could result in lower accountancy fees and less red tape.
(Sep 5, 2011 in News )
HMRC and lenders join forces to combat mortgage fraud
A new Mortgage Verification Scheme has been launched, which will enable mortgage lenders to check applicants' income declarations with HMRC records in cases where fraud is suspected.
(Sep 4, 2011 in News )
Contractor recruiters divided over importance of CV covering letters
A recent survey has provided an interesting insight into how recruiters process CVs, with wildly differing views held on the usefulness of submitting covering letters with contract applications.
(Sep 1, 2011 in News )
Recruitment agency leaks contractor details to bank, union causes a stir
The PCG has hit out at a recruitment agency for accidentally leaking the names and contract rates of thousands of its contractors to a bank, however it is the 'knee-jerk' reaction of the Unite union which has seemingly caused the most alarm.
(Aug 26, 2011 in News )
HMRC backdated tax claims against EBT users 'wildly innacurate'
A leading accountancy firm says that HMRC has launched its long anticipated clampdown against users of Employment Benefit Trust (EBT) schemes, but many of the claims for backdated taxes are 'wildly inaccurate'.
(Aug 25, 2011 in News )
HMRC warns contractors over new wave of tax avoidance schemes
In the latest in a series of 'Spotlight' publications aimed solely at the issue of tax avoidance, HMRC has made a statement on the emergence of a new wave of tax avoidance schemes, aimed at contractors and highly paid employees.
(Aug 24, 2011 in News )
London and South East home to two thirds of all new IT jobs
A recruitment company says that London is home 40% of all new IT roles being created in the UK, driven by a recovery in the financial sector and a new boom in technology start-ups.
(Aug 22, 2011 in News )
Number of IT professionals in the UK reaches record level
The latest e-skills report provides a positive outlook for the IT industry, with demand for IT professionals at its highest level since 2008, and private sector IT spending nearly pre-recessionary levels.
(Aug 17, 2011 in News )
Poll reveals common complaints about contractor accountants
A recent survey by an online contractor accountancy firm suggests that many accountants have no, or little understanding of the IR35 rules. Common gripes include rising fees, poor communication, and late filing of important documents.
(Aug 8, 2011 in News )
Contractor fails in bid to have BN66 retrospective tax ruling overrturned at Court of Appeal
IT contractor Robert Huitson has failed in his bid to have his BN66 retrospective taxation ruling overturned at the Court of Appeal this week.
(Jul 26, 2011 in News )
HMRC clampdown on pay day by pay day umbrella expenses abuse
HMRC has published further guidance to prevent unscrupulous umbrella companies from offsetting expenses against National Minimum Wage payments to their employees.
(Jul 23, 2011 in News )
Parliamentary group to investiate why freelancers are under-appreciated
The first APPG roundtable was held at the House of Commons earlier this month, with MPs discussing how the Government can help to boost the economy by better utilising flexible working.
(Jul 20, 2011 in News )
Limited company contractors should keep on top of their accounting obligations
A report by a firm of contractor accountants suggests almost half of the UK's small business owners lack even the most basic accountancy skills, and are therefore at risk from HMRC scrutiny.
(Jul 15, 2011 in News )
Tax simplification body to examine how smallest businesses are taxed
The Office of Tax Simplification is to look at how the smallest unincorporated businesses are taxed, and to examine whether relief should be given to limited company owners who decide to disincorporate.
(Jul 13, 2011 in News )
EBT clampdown - Government updates disguised remuneration FAQs
Earlier this week, the Government published a revised set of FAQs relating to draft legislation which put an end to the viability of employment benefit trust schemes for contractors.
(Jul 8, 2011 in News )
Clampdown launched on VAT-dodging businesses
In the latest in a series of campaigns aimed at tax dodgers, HMRC is targeting small businesses who have failed to register for VAT when they should have done.
(Jul 6, 2011 in News )
Contractors motivated by more than just money when seeking new opportunities
A survey conducted by an IT job site shows that many permanent and contract IT workers view fighting boredom in the workplace as an important factor when looking for new roles.
(Jul 5, 2011 in News )
eSkills to provide access to quality online IT courses for low annual fee
The National Skills Academy for IT has launched a new suite of online courses, which provides access to a wide range of online learning, including major certifications, for a low annual fee.
(Jun 27, 2011 in News )
Is the future of the contract jobs market in LinkedIn's hands?
The days of sending agencies your CV via traditional email look to be numbered, as LinkedIn plans to let users apply for jobs instantly from recruiter websites, by converting profiles into instant CVs.
(Jun 22, 2011 in News )
Leading umbrella to host AWR seminars
Employment services provider, Parasol, will be hosting a series of online seminars over the next few weeks to address the confusion which surrounds the implementation of the Agency Workers Regulations.
(Jun 20, 2011 in News )
Contractors urged to declare offshore bank assets to HMRC and avoid harsh penalties
A specialist accountancy firm has urged any contractors who have undisclosed offshore bank accounts to come forward and avoid paying hefty HMRC penalties
(Jun 17, 2011 in News )
Security cleared roles still a closed shop for many contractors
Despite Government guidance to encourage a level playing field for all contractors, it appears than a sizeable number of job postings are still being made which demand that applicants have pre-existing security clearance in place.
(Jun 15, 2011 in News )
Are there any decent iPhone apps for contractors and freelancers?
Given the massive consumer appetite for iPhone apps, it will come as no surprise to see some familiar contracting industry names joining in the revolution with their own mobile offerings.
(Jun 10, 2011 in News )
Date set for National Freelancers Day 2011
The third National Freelancers Day will take place on 23rd November 2011. This year's event is set to be the most impressive yet.
(Jun 9, 2011 in News )
Olympic contractors warned over employment status of workers
Never far from the headlines, HMRC has issued a warning to companies working on the Olympic Games project to ensure that they do not avoid paying tax and NICs by deliberately misleading over the employment status of their workers and sub-contractors.
(May 20, 2011 in News )
Immigration controls for overseas IT workers still open to abuse
The Public Accounts Committee has delivered its report into the current ICT immigration scheme to ensure that overseas IT staff are not illegally transferred to the UK, potentially undercutting or displacing homegrown workers.
(May 17, 2011 in News )
New website aims to show that freelancing does matter
The PCG has launched a new website, Freelancing Matters, which aims to provide an interactive community for its visitors.
(Apr 20, 2011 in News )
BCS IT Industry Awards open for new entrants
The 2011 BCS IT Industry Awards opened for entries this week. This year, new categories have been created to recognise entrepreneurship, mobile technology and embedded software.
(Apr 19, 2011 in News )
Contractors set to benefit from pro-enterprise Budget measures
We look at the pro-enterprise measures the Chancellor announced last week, some of which are relevant to contractors, and others which should benefit the private sector in general over the coming years.
(Mar 28, 2011 in News )
Budget 2011 - key points for contractors
The key points from today's Budget, as they relate to contractors and freelancers. IR35 to remain in place.
(Mar 23, 2011 in News )
Tax cheats to be 'monitored' under new HMRC check-up plans
HMRC has launched a new programme to 'deter' hardcore tax cheats from re-offending.
(Mar 2, 2011 in News )
The rapid rise of the Indian IT training industry
A recent article reports on the rapid growth of of the Indian IT training industry, which offers courses for well under one third the price you'd pay in the UK.
(Mar 2, 2011 in News )
Why it is a good time to become an oil and gas contractor
With demand for oil set to increase rapidly over the next decade, experts predict that the demand for skilled engineers is likely to follow suit.
(Feb 25, 2011 in News )
New rules to clamp down on abuse of Intra-Company Transfers
New government rules to stamp out the abuse of Intra Company Transfers (ICT) have been announced by the Home Office.
(Feb 16, 2011 in News )
New service launched to allow small companies to bid for Government contracts
A new service has been launched to allow small businesses to tender for Government business - part of an initiative to cut out waste and provide transparency in the way Government departments choose their suppliers.
(Feb 11, 2011 in News )
Most contractors and freelancers feel valued by their clients
New research suggests that contractors are recognised for the value they bring to their clients, with 58% of those polled saying that they were appreciated for the work that they do.
(Feb 8, 2011 in News )
Contractors and consultants urged to take part in latest Skillfair contract rate poll
This year's Skillfair fee rate survey is underway. The results will provide a snapshot of the health of the contracting and consultancy market in 2011.
(Feb 7, 2011 in News )
Social media boom could create opportunities for freelancers
A new trend report has revealed the extent to which social media is expected to boom across the UK's businesses in 2011, creating new opportunities for freelancers.
(Jan 31, 2011 in News )
Accountant responds to tax simplification body on need to tackle IR35
A specialist contractor accountancy firm has provided a detailed response to the OTS in an effort to help simplify the tax system, particularly focusing on the need to reform IR35.
(Jan 26, 2011 in News )
Demand for IT skills set to grow strongly, older workers in demand
New research from e-skills shows that the demand for IT skills is set to grow strongly over the next 5 years, with the industry increasingly favouring more seasoned IT workers over the under 30's.
(Jan 25, 2011 in News )
Offshore contractor tax group to sue HMRC after 'unlawful' office raid
An offshore tax solution provider says it intends to take action against the authorities after a raid on its offices, subsequently deemed to be unlawful, resulted in bad publicity and job losses.
(Jan 18, 2011 in News )
Accountant reports surge in demand for limited company contractors
A contractor accountancy firm says that it has seen an unprecedented rise in the number of limited company contractors coming into the market - from a wide variety of industry sectors.
(Jan 12, 2011 in News )
Umbrella company body welcomes new minimum wage safeguards
An umbrella industry body has welcomed recent moves to exclude travel and subsistence expenses from National Minimum Wage calculations.
(Jan 10, 2011 in News )
Union asks HMRC to clamp down on false self employment practices of payroll companies
Construction union, UCATT, has urged HMRC to investigate how some payroll companies have been registering workers as 'self employed' in order to slash employers' National Insurance bills.
(Jan 7, 2011 in News )
Umbrella companies barred from fiddling National Minimum Wage calculations
Updated National Minimum Wage Regulations came into effect on 1st January 2011, which prevent umbrella companies from using travel and subsistence expenses in the calculation of the NMW.
(Jan 6, 2011 in News )
