Self Employed - Working for a single company (Help Please)

[Danny4494]

Been offered a position today long story short it’s job surveying various land all over the the UK all for one business, they pay X amount for mileage allowance and X amount for expenses while working for hotel food etc they will provide a work phone.

The work is on a self employed basis with the promise of a full days work every day, just invoice them at the end of the week.

Now the couple of questions I have are:

Tax purposes what’s the best way for me to go about it ?

Not worked in this manner before anyone doing same thing with any input ?

Thanks for any replies

[Jordie Barretts sock]

I thought that if you worked for one company 100% of the time, you were 'employed' by them and they had to pay NI, tax and pay holiday pay, etc.
Sounds dodgy a f to me.


Unless you set up a Ltd Co and invoice from that and pay yourself via PAYE.

[Gixer968CS]

The IR35 rule will kick in on this (if you only work for 1 company and you work a full week then IR35 says you're not really self employed, you're employed by that company). Not so much of an issue for you but a risk for the employer who is essentially avoiding paying his employers National Insurance contribution for you (not strictly legal). And, of course, he's also not having to contribute to Nest or other for your pension.

As for you, doesn't really matter how you set it up but from a tax standpoint you're probably better off as a sole trader (not limited company). As a director for a Ltd Co you'll have to pay employers NI, then your own personal NI and you'll also pay corporation tax on profits etc.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Yeah, that ^^^

I'd speak to an accountant as well.

[Danny4494]

Thanks guys appreciate the input, there’s no contracted set hours basically the jobs come in on a Friday and you choose what jobs you want for the week after you could choose 0 or you could book your self 4-5 days work I’m not sure if/how that correlates to the IR35 rule?

Pretty certain I’ll take the sole trader route too

[Googie]

You will need to arrange PI cover if working on own Account.

[Seventy-Eight]

Danny4494 said:

Thanks guys appreciate the input, there’s no contracted set hours basically the jobs come in on a Friday and you choose what jobs you want for the week after you could choose 0 or you could book your self 4-5 days work I’m not sure if/how that correlates to the IR35 rule?

Pretty certain I’ll take the sole trader route too

IR35 doesn't apply to sole traders.

[MaxFromage]

Are you a quantity surveyor? They're an interesting one when it comes to IR35. Plenty of contracts that meet the criteria and also cases where HMRC have lost. Caveats being short term contracts of course.

As mentioned, if you go self-employed (not a limited company), IR35 doesn't apply. You could still be subject to disguised employment though.

[Giantt]

So it's basically zero hours,seems like it should be paye?
Do you supply equipment,decide when and how the jobs done, supply someone else in your place to undertake the work,put right mistakes at your own expense?

[Eric Mc]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Yeah, that ^^^


I'd speak to an accountant as well.

Absolutely not.

IR35 applies to individuals who operate through an intermediary- such as a limited company.
If you are a sole trader, IR35 does not apply.

However, as has been said, if some entity hires you and tries to tell you that you are being engaged on a “self employed “ basis, you are not, in HMRC’s eyes, genuinely self employed.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Well, as an accountant Eric, you have just backed up what I said. No need to speak to an accountant then, you have clarified the position.

[Eric Mc]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

Well, as an accountant Eric, you have just backed up what I said. No need to speak to an accountant then, you have clarified the position.

There are many other reasons why people embarking on a "self employed" route might want to make use of a qualified accountant.