The Apprenticeship Levy One of the many changes that will come into effect in April 2017 is the Apprenticeship Levy, which has been somewhat overshadowed by the off-payroll reform in the public sector. This new levy will affect both the public and private sector with payments starting from May 2017. The government has pledged to…
Here at Cloud9 Umbrella, we understand that there is more to life than just contracting. That is why we are launching ‘Kingsley Hamilton Lifestyle’ – an exclusive rewards scheme for our clients. The rewards scheme is our way of adding value to the services we provide to you whilst also helping you to achieve a…
Last Friday (3 February), HMRC published further guidance regarding off-payroll working in the public sector from 6 April. The update provided clarification that the responsibility of determining the IR35 status of a Personal Service Company (PSC) worker would lie solely with the hiring Public Authority. If the Public Authority determines the PSC worker to be inside…
It’s one of the biggest topics of conversation within the industry, creating a massive stir for contractors and steadfast decisions from end clients. The off-payroll working in the public sector reform is about to cause more waves this year and we will look at the effect this will have on all those involved. We are…
HMRC’s IR35 reform is putting pressure on a multitude of public sector companies including Travel for London. TfL has been the first to react to the Public Sector reform by implementing a complete ban on contractors working through their own limited company. They decided to tackle the issue of non-compliancy by sending out a memo…
Thinking of changing jobs? Then you may be one of the 59% who are considering moving jobs in 2017, according to a report conducted by Investors in People. The report conveys one of the key reasons of moving jobs as pay, yet around a third of respondents stated they would prefer flexible working to a…
More often than not, you’ll find discussions and reasons as to why you should move from an umbrella to a limited company. But we thought we’d discuss the reverse, because sometimes, the arrangements of working through a limited company, no longer make sense for the position you are in. So why might you consider switching…
Since the public sector reform in April 2017, we are still asked frequently by public sector contractors if they should continue using their own limited company or switch to an umbrella. The answer very much depends on each individual’s circumstances thus we would strongly encourage contractors to speak to us for tailored advice. Nonetheless, we…
It’s been just over a year since the Criminal Finance Act (CFA) was introduced 30th September 2017, which saw companies become criminally liable for any facilitation of tax evasion and tax avoidance schemes by any persons representing the company, and a recent Tax Journal has proposed that HMRC is ‘chomping at the bit to investigate.’ After…
What has changed? The Spring Budget 2016 has confirmed there will be restrictions for contractors who are claiming travel, subsistence and accommodation expenses, starting from 6 April. From now on, Cloud9 Umbrella will have to assess all of our workers, and determine their Supervision, Direction or Control (SDC) status. This will help us ensure that…
Many within the contractor industry have criticised HMRC’s CEST tool as not fit for purpose. The digital tool was designed by HMRC to help contractors determine their IR35 status but it has been scathingly criticised by the self-employment industry. ContractorUK firmly surmised it as: “wrongly seen as mandatory. Too blunt to be sector-specific. Unhelpful to big…
With the number of self-employed workers increasing by 103,000 to 4.80 million (in the three months to April), we delve in to explore IPSE’s recent study to understand why contracting and freelancing are becoming so popular. At Cloud9 and K&B Accountancy Group, we’ve always known that contracting is the best route for the many workers…