So having decided to go with an umbrella company, the next problem is to choose one. There are many to choose from and you need to do some research.

Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance is a policy that will protect you from claims for damages against your company from your clients. Such claims are made for various reasons but typically are…

There are two business insurances that all independent freelancers should consider having; Public Liability Insurance and Employer’s Liability Insurance.

It is often heard that contractors routinely close down their companies in order to avoid IR35 investigations: the logic is that if the company no longer exists, it can’t be investigated. Sadly, perhaps, this is not actually the case.

While it is fair to say that IR35 will have an impact on your own net income, quantifying exactly how much impact is not that simple, since there are several variables. You can, however, compare the overall results in general terms.

The first thing is to think about why you want to go freelance. While permanent jobs are increasingly unreliable, the one certainty of freelancing is that you will be out of work at some point and you won’t have a formal support structure around you to help out. Although, of course, that is exactly the way many freelancers prefer it. So having decided to go freelance, here are the steps you take.

The intention of IR35 is very simply expressed: if you are working as an employee of your client then you should pay the same taxes as an employee of that client. You can’t avoid paying those taxes simply by saying you are a freelance contractor, you have to be able to prove it.

The recent move from the Special Commissioners to the Tax Tribunal brought about a number of changes to the processes leading up to, and including, a hearing. One such change is the right to request, or accept an offer of, an independent review (once Determinations and Decisions have been raised) before the case is to be listed for a hearing.

This is not and does not claim to be a definitive guide to IR35 and how to avoid its clutches. That is something that has defeated many experts over the last ten years. However, I hope to provide a summary of what we do know about IR35, what all the arcane acronyms really mean, and which bits are the important ones.

Freelance contractors can now, for the first time fund life insurance through their limited company and not have it treated as a benefit in kind.