Contractors Articles

Umbrella.co.uk September Employee of the Month

Congratulations to Hannah Kelman on winning Umbrella.co.uk September Employee of the Month.

“Hannah is an asset to the payroll team; she consistently goes above and beyond!” Holly Oakes, Payroll Manager
 

Contractor income down 25% in locked down Q2
marketing | 20 August 2020
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UK contractors’ average income dropped by 25% in the second quarter of 2020 according to the Freelancer Confidence Index, run by contractor interest group IPSE and PeoplePerHour.

The three-month period, which includes the height of the UK’s national coronavirus lockdown, saw a record fall in the average number of weeks worked by contractors in a quarter. In the 13 weeks between March and June, the average freelancer went five-and-a-half weeks without work.

How Summer Mini Budget Will Affect Contractors
marketing | 9 July 2020
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The Chancellor’s £30bn plan to protect jobs and boost the economy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak doesn’t include everything on contractor’s wishlist, but some of the measures will be welcome.

The ‘mini budget’ includes plans to reward employers that bring back furloughed workers, increase the threshold on stamp duty and cut VAT in some key at-risk sectors.

End of Furlough Looms for Contractors

Many industries have been rocked by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As the smallest entity in supply chains, contractors will be among the hardest hit by the virus lockdown.

For many contractors, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been a valuable source of support when other work has dried up.

Because umbrella companies employ umbrella contractors on a PAYE system, contractors have had the opportunity to receive furlough payments since the scheme was announced.

IR35 Rule Change Set for 2021

Controversial changes to off-payroll working (IR35) rules are set to come into force in April 2021, after MPs ignored a call to delay the changes until 2023.

Changes to the way IR35 rules are applied in the private sector were originally penned to take effect in April 2020, before pandemic-related uncertainty forced a stay of execution from lawmakers.

Autumn Budget Could Cost Contractors

Reports suggest that the Chancellor Rishi Sunak could increase limited company contractor taxes to help reduce Britain’s COVID-19 debt.

The Autumn Statement isn’t expected until mid-to-late November at the earliest, but the rumour mill is already beginning to swirl - and tax hikes for companies and contractors look to be on top of the Chancellor’s agenda.

Survey: Lockdown and IR35 Affecting Contractor Wellbeing

IR35 concerns and the coronavirus lockdown has had a negative impact on UK contractor wellbeing and finances, a survey has found.

The survey of over 1,000 limited company contractors found that many were disappointed to be excluded from government support schemes like the self-employed income support and furlough schemes.

How do umbrella companies avoid IR35?

Umbrella companies allow contractors to achieve IR35 compliance. If a limited company contract is deemed ‘inside IR35’, contracting through an umbrella company is usually preferable.

This will become more important as an upcoming rule change will mean that many more contractors are caught out by IR35 legislation.

Getting back to business in the office

We’re still at home – and still working for you!!  But from Monday most of the team will be back in our offices, observing the rules, and looking forward to picking up where we left off before we rudely interrupted by a pandemic, with our first class, friendly service!!

If any of our agency partners would like some virtual team training or are just missing our faces, our business development team is available to support you.

Here are some more of our friendly faces working from home for you.

Umbrella contractor customers have free access to a professional counselling service with Umbrella Rewards

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK. We’d like to take the opportunity to remind our contractor customers that you have access to a free professional counselling service with Umbrella Rewards. If you are affected by mental or emotional strain, especially in these difficult times, login to the Umbrella Rewards Customer Portal and visit the 'Care & Support' area. 

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