Blog

As a member of the FSCA, Churchill Knight Umbrella can benefit from their expert advice and guidance – especially when it comes to uncharted territory like we are well and truly entering now as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate the government's efforts to support the self-employed, but a significant amount of information is still required in order to make sense of their new schemes.

On Tuesday 17th March, the government announced they were delaying the IR35 private sector reform from April 2020, to April 2021. Although this is good news for genuine contractors, it doesn’t necessarily mean much will change over the next 12 months. Here is what the delay to off-payroll in the private sector will mean for contractors and freelancers in the UK.

As a result of the deadly spread of COVID-19, Boris Johnson has said it is his responsibility to ensure parliament acts like a “wartime government“ and does what is necessary to beat coronavirus, while supporting everyone who will inevitably be impacted by it. The pandemic has already had a significant impact on employers and employees in the UK – resulting in the loss of jobs and severe financial insecurity. But until now, Rishi Sunak had been unclear in explaining his plans for helping the self-employed. However, more information has been made available this afternoon (Thursday 26th March 2020) and here is what we have learned.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the government has unveiled plans to help support the UK’s workforce. While we welcome the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, there are still plenty of unanswered questions about how the legislation will work – from both an employer’s and ‘furloughed’ employee’s perspective.

The IR35 private sector reform (off-payroll in the private sector) was set to come into effect on 6th April 2020. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government has decided to put the legislation changes on hold for 12 months – meaning it will now come into effect on 6th April 2021.

Business will continue as usual and we have extensive continuity plans in place to allow us to operate with minimal disruption to our services if the Government's advice changes.

Having undergone a comprehensive audit and rigorous assessment process, Churchill Knight (Contractor Accountancy and Umbrella) has successfully earned the prestigious FCSA accreditation. Already holding a Professional Passport accreditation, adding FCSA to our organisation is further proof of our commitment to compliance within the contractor payroll sector.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered his first Budget in the House of Commons, announcing the government’s plans regarding benefits, tax, spending and the wider economy. But what does it mean for your financial health and has there been an update or amendment to off-payroll legislation?

For most contractors, Holiday Pay is an area that causes a lot of confusion when they register with an umbrella company. Our short blog explains what Holiday Pay means when you work through an umbrella company and how it is calculated.

There are many reasons why you might consider closing down your limited company and start contracting through an umbrella company. Whatever the reason for switching, you will need to consider the process of closing down your company and ensure you thoroughly research umbrella companies.