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A short guide to rates, relief and allowances available for use by 5th April 2015.

The Christmas period is over and we’ve all been given a fresh start in the form of a new year. Is it time to refresh your CV, and potentially make a big career change in 2016? Here are our Top 10 Tips to help update and sharpen up your CV.

Question: Why must a contractor keep all receipts at their limited company's registered address?

The annual responsibility of filing your Self-Assessment has come around again and the deadline for your online submission is fast approaching. All assessments must be submitted by 31st January 2015 in order to avoid the late submission fine of £100.

The decision by the Welsh Assembly’s to ban umbrella payroll services on its construction projects has brought dismay from the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA). Commenting on the move, the FCSA said it was concerned that the step will work to tarnish the reputation of the many compliant and responsible umbrella companies working in the best interests of contractors and freelancers.

Working from home can be deemed a luxury to some however, the costs associated can be quickly forgotten and ultimately hit you with a surprise when certain bills drop on the doormat. Another luxury for Contractors however is that you can offset a proportion of these expenses against tax.

Essentially as a Contractor you are out in the working world by yourself and are responsible for both your level of work and income received as well as the amount of outgoings you incur. Modern day contracting can require you to travel to your clients and places of work from time to time and these occasional (or sometimes more regular) trips can add up.

Last week we saw the Chancellor George Osborne deliver the Autumn Statement of 2014, declaring some key changes such as the stamp duty thresholds and various rates such as Personal Allowance and ISA Limits increasing.

Barry Vaughan: "Churchill Knight made it very simple to get my Limited Company set up. When I have any concerns they help me to understand and clear up any misunderstandings quickly."

During the delivery of his statement, George Osborne proudly declared the ongoing decrease of unemployment, directly referring to the increase of the self-employed population now equalling almost 15% of the UK’s entire workforce. Despite this, the 2014 statement had a very small amount of implications for this expanding sector of the workforce. We have listed a handful of the points taken from the statement that could affect you a contractor within the upcoming year;