Has it only been a week?!
This has been the week of Boris briefings and business bailouts. For everything IR35 related, read on and remember that if you see something interesting (or have written something), do send it through so it can be shared with the community. If there are others you think that would benefit send it on, or share the link – www.IR35Weekly.uk.
The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19.
This includes a package of measures to support businesses including. Those that are of the most interest to those impacted by IR35 are;
- a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- deferring VAT and Income Tax payments
The full list of measures are included in the link. It’s important to read these. There’s a significant amount of information and rumour be shared by those who are neither informed, nor experts. We will do our best to share only those articles and posts from reputable sources and those which are designed to scaremonger or make the situation a whole lot worse.
There have been many questions about whether you can be an employee of your own limited company and whether as a sole director you can furlough yourself. Rebecca Seeley Harris, independent employment status and IR35 expert, has written an article to explain her opinion but, technically, a sole director could furlough themselves but only if they were able to be an employee of their own limited company in the first place.
Susan Ball, an expert in UK employment tax/NIC shared how contractors working with all Central Government Departments, their Executive Agencies and Non Departmental Public Bodies may be paid 80% of the pay rate up to a maximum of £2,500 per month if they are off due to sickness, self-isolation, or the temporary closure of offices. This includes both inside and outside IR35 contractors.
Computer weekly have shared an article about how IT contractors who provide services through their own limited companies will not be able to access the government scheme to support self-employed through coronavirus outbreak.
They say “The government stands accused of leaving IT contractors “out in the cold” by denying limited company contractors access to financial measures designed to support the self-employed through the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.”
So many conversations over the past few days regarding the link between the support put in place and IR35 status. Here’s the IPSE take on it and a snippet so you get the idea of the article’s position…
“The message from the government is clear – if you are a contractor, you’re on your own. And that is exactly why the utter nonsense that is IR35 should be cast aside forever.”