What is an IR35 accountant?
Posted May 27, 2011
In recent years, an increasing number of contractor accountancy providers have marketed themselves as 'IR35 accountants'. Have these firms suddenly been gifted a silver bullet against IR35, or is this just a marketing phrase?
Unsurprisingly, in a similar fashion to the way umbrella companies have labelled themselves as 'IR35 compliant' in the past, this term is merely aimed at catching the eye of contractors (and search engines) in an increasingly competitive market.
Is your accountant a contractor specialist?
Accountants have no power to determine whether their clients are caught by IR35 or not, but when choosing an accountant, it is important to choose a firm which has in-depth knowledge of the Intermediaries Legislation.
A good accountant will be able to explain the financial consequences of falling inside IR35, and what measures contractors should take to comply with the rules.
For this reason, we always recommend our visitors choose a specialist contractor accountant to look after their limited company (and personal) tax affairs.
Accounting for IR35 status
Whether or not you are caught by IR35 or not makes little difference to an accountant's workload.
If, as you hope, your contracts are not caught by IR35, you will draw down income from your company in the form of a modest salary and the remainder distributed as dividends. This is the most tax efficient way to operate as a contractor.
If you are caught by IR35, after accounting for a fixed 5% allowance for 'administrative expenses', you will draw income from your company in the form of a deemed salary which will be subject to standard income tax and NICs.
Understandably, there is a significant difference in the take home pay of contractors inside and outside of IR35.
How to mitigate against IR35
There are a number of things a contractor specialist accountant should do to help their clients comply with the IR35 rules.
Firstly, and most importantly, both your contract and working practices demonstrate that you fall outside IR35, and that you are not merely a 'disguised employee'.
Many accountants will refer their clients to a professional contract review service which will examine the terms or each contract, and advise accordingly.
Other steps include taking out IR35 insurance to cover the costs of a potential HMRC investigation, and even tax liabilities you may be subsequently found to owe (subject to the level of cover you take out).
In the current HMRC penalties regime, these steps will also demonstrate that you have taken reasonable care in showing that your contracts are free from IR35.
Contractor Accountants
- Contract Experts - ClearSky Accounting on 08000 325 326
- InTouch Contractor Accounting - personal service & clear advice
- K & B Accountancy Group - Fixed fee contractor accounting only £75pm
- Free IR35 & Tax Review - Call ICS on 0800 195 3750
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