umbrella Articles

With Mr Osborne set to deliver his 2016 Budget in less than a fortnight’s time and with debate roaring over Brexit, what are the possible implications for contractors and other business drivers?

In February, the BVRLA – the trade body for the car leasing industry – claimed that since 2010 the government’s company car taxation policies have exposed road users and indeed society as a whole to dirtier, more dangerous vehicles. Gerry Keaney, the BVRLA’s Chief Executive, labelled Mr Osborne’s “series of tax increases as both unfair and unsignposted”, pointing to 30,000 fewer employees who have chosen company car packages over the last five years.

marketing | 17 February 2016
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Congratulations to Hannah Langton, Senior Account Manager, for winning January Employee of the month. During our new portal roll out Hannah provided a top notch service to our customers, working long hours and managing to keep smiling!

marketing | 13 January 2016
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This is your resource from which you can see everything relating to your account with Umbrella, your payments and your timesheets and expenses. 

New features include a new mobile-friendly platform, a new and improved look and navigation. Plus, you will have the ability to upload images of your receipts to submit with your timesheet.  In short, everything you will need to submit your hours and expenses from your desktop or whilst you are on the move via tablet or phone 24/7.

marketing | 4 December 2015
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With the ink barely dry on the Autumn Statement, chancellor George Osborne has announced that his 2016 Budget will take place in less than four months’ time on the 16th of March.

Importantly, this date is just before the new April tax year, which opens up the possibility that the Chancellor could enact some last minute tax changes that could be disadvantageous to contractors. 

marketing | 26 November 2015
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Umbrella contractors, like those employed by Umbrella.co.uk, had a number of reasons to smile yesterday as the Chancellor George Osborne delivered his Autumn Statement address to the House of Commons.

Following months of speculation about the impact of tax changes for contractors, the statement was relatively mild compared to some of the expectations in the contractor community.

The biggest relief for contractors employed by umbrella companies is that on first reading it appears that they will still be able to claim tax relief on their Travel and Subsistence expenses.

Our interpretation of the restriction on Travel & Subsistence expenses is that it will only apply to contractors working through their own limited company that are caught by IR35 legislation.

marketing | 2 March 2016
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Congratulations to apprentice Nicola Worthington who is working towards her AAT Level 3 accountancy qualification at Macclesfield College and spend four days per week getting practical experience at Umbrella.co.uk

Not only is it hard to believe there is a National Umbrella Day it is with great shame that we have to admit that despite being called Umbrella we were completely unaware of it until it was almost over.

In researching Umbrella Day we also discovered that Umbrella was the large Corporation in the movie “Resident Evil”. Purely coincidental!

HMRC has shelved plans to change IR35 legislation for at least one year. The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) claims to have received confirmation that no new legislation relating to IR35 and personal service companies (PSCs) would be published in 2016-17.

At the 2015 budget, the Chancellor George Osborne indicated that IR35 Intermediaries Legislation had to be changed because it wasn’t working properly. After a period of consultation, it seems that ministers want more time to assess the impact that any changes will have on contractors. 

marketing | 1 December 2015
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We'll be doing our bit in a Christmas knit for Text Santa Christmas Jumper Day!

On Friday 18th December, we'll be wearing our Christmas jumpers with pride, and making our woollies worthy by donating to the cause to help families in difficulty.

We love Christmas and can't wait for the 18th, so we're warming up and going all out with festive knits every Friday throughout December!

Some happy reminders from last year!

marketing | 26 November 2015
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Once the dust has settled and the analysis over and done with, the Autumn Statement delivered by Chancellor George Osborne yesterday may well be looked back on as positive for business.

With the economy in good shape, and the Chancellor all too aware that he will be challenging a party leadership contest in the not too distant future, it looks as though he is trying to shirk the unpopular public image of ‘George the Cutter’.

Our interpretation of the restriction on Travel & Subsistence expenses is that it will only apply to contractors working through their own limited company that are caught by IR35 legislation.

However, other commentators in the industry interpret the statement made to be that restrictions will apply to umbrella company workers and PSC’s caught by IR35 and that potentially there may be a Supervision, Direction and Control type test to see if a worker is entitled i.e. that they are truly self-employed. 

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