Editor | 29 January 2015

For the tax year 2015/2016 Employers who employ workers who are under 21 will have no Employers National to pay for earnings up to £813 per week (the Upper Earnings Limit UEL). This change comes into effect from 6th April 2015.

There has been a seemingly non-stop run of positive news stories for the IT industry in the UK recently. 2015 seems to be doing little to buck this upward trend! Employers group the CBI, along with accountancy giants PwC have forecast that the majority of banks and other financial institutions will raise their IT spending in the year ahead.

One of our Directors at Umbrella.co.uk, Miles Grady BA (Econ) Hons ACA, has performed a detailed review of the HMRC review into Travel and Subsistence expenses and below lists a number of key points into why HMRC should not stop umbrella company contractors

Editor | 21 January 2015
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From cake sales to Xmas jumper competitions, umbrella.co.uk staff have had fun raising £550.00 this year for The Christie.

There are numerous benefits and reasons that umbrella companies exist for contractors working in the UK and it is not just that they allow contractors to benefit from tax relief for travel and subsistence costs

Editor | 13 January 2015
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It has been reported that following a successful campaign from UCATT, albeit completely inaccurate, Edwina Hart the Minister for Economy, Science and Transport has now announced that the Government in Wales will amend contracts to ensure Umbrella Companies cannot be used for new Construction Contracts.

Editor | 8 January 2015
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Warrington based Optionis Group appoint Iain Ferguson as their new Non-Executive Chairman.

Editor | 7 January 2015
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After the Festive Break and the beginning of a new calendar year we thought it would be good to do a round-up of current tax issues and news.

Editor | 28 January 2015
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A recent swathe of negative press coverage has somewhat enveloped the Umbrella Company industry in the past couple of weeks. First up, the Union of Construction, Allied Trades And Technicians (UCATT) have further vocalised their entrenched reservations about umbrella companies. Their fundamental argument has been to debate what they see as unfair business practices carried out towards contractors by umbrella operators.

The self assessment tax return submission deadline for completion and filing of your online tax return is midnight 31st January 2015 as is your tax payable.

One of the benefits of working through an Umbrella company is that by becoming an employee of the umbrella company you can benefit from the tax free incentive of being reimbursed partly through childcare vouchers instead of taxable wages.

On Channel 4 Dispatches 19th January 2015 reporter Morland Sanders looked at lower paid workers in the UK. The episode was titled “Low Pay Britain”. It is available on catch-up for the next month.

HMRC are reported to be keen to clamp down on the Elective Deduction Model (EDM) in a similar vein that it has with the payday by payday tax relief model that some umbrella companies used as a means of by-passing the national minimum wage legislation.

Yesterday (8th January 2015) Umbrella.co.uk attended an FCSA meeting and consultation with HMRC regarding the 'Employment Intermediaries: Temporary workers - Relief for subsistence and expenses proposal. 

Editor | 7 January 2015
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The IR35 Forum was established following an Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) IR35 review (beginning in 2010) and the 2011 Budget stating that the administration of IR35 would be improved.

From April 2016 Umbrella Company Workers in Scotland could be subject to different rates of Income Tax (PAYE) than other umbrella company workers in the rest of the UK. This follows new legislation via The Scotland Act 2012.