There have been some subtle suggestions that, perhaps, summer is arriving. So, with the upturn in temperatures (at least for some of us), what better time to check out what’s cooking in IT contracting?

For some expert insight, we caught up with Umbrella’s Barbara Munnelly for a look at the tech jobs recruiters are hot on this summer: “With the General Election out of the way, the UK is settling back down to work, and companies are looking to fill mandates across their IT requirements. The UK’s financial services industry continues to be the ‘go-to’ recruiter for many of our talented IT contractors and freelancers.”

HMRC have issued a warning to contractors or freelancers who took part in a tax avoidance scheme called– The Contractor Loan Scheme.

The scheme was designed to pay contractors a loan rather than a salary from a non UK employer with the aim that the loan payment would be tax free (in place of a taxable salary). HMRC are now warning that income tax may still be liable on these types of arrangements.

With the lofty aim of making Britain the best place in the world to start a business, the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act has received Royal Assent. Now enshrined in law, the Act promises, amongst other features, vastly improved access to finance for start-ups and SMEs.

Neil Armitage Operations Director, Umbrella Accountancy Services, commented “In doing so the Act seeks to scratch an itch that has irritated many of Britain’s budding entrepreneurs: the banking and finance industries have recovered their solidity without stretching their books sufficiently to support Start-Up UK.

The much-talked about skills shortage seen across sectors of UK Industry continues to trouble employers in a variety of work areas. Getting hold of the right staff, with the right skills, training and experience is proving a testing – and lasting – challenge to the HR functions of businesses throughout the UK.