Contractor and IR 35 - When does it apply to you?

2 March 2021 | By Shehriyar Lateef

Contractor and IR 35 - When does it apply to you?

Contractor and IR 35

When does it apply to you?

As  Albert Einstein said on his taxes ..'this is too difficult for a mathematician. It takes a philosopher'.

I would agree with Albert Einstein when I got to know that there are  off payroll working rules existed but luckily we have accountants today to help sort out our accounts and taxes.

We at Taxaccolega are not philosophers but a team of accountants who can help you with your income taxes, tax returns, payment on accounts.

If you are contractor and have an income of more than £1000 per year you will have to fill in self- assessment tax return and pay income taxes.

Establishing if you are a contractor or an employee is very important. It will determine if you are within IR35 or outside IR35.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE INSIDE IR 35 AND OUTSIDE IR 35?

Being inside IR 35 means that HMRC sees you as an employee of the company and you have to pay taxes accordingly through deemed employment payment.
Being outside IR 35 means that you are considered as a self- employed.

HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR TAXES?

If you are inside IR 35, you are considered an employee for tax purposes. You will have to pay income tax and NI like an employee. There is an advantage as well, if your contract is inside IR 35 you will be entitled to maternity pay, sick pay, furlough payments etc. This

If your contract is outside IR 35, you can pay your taxes efficiently. You can pay yourself and pay taxes in a tax efficient way. If you are working as an self-employed the tax paid can be saved around 20% or more depending on the income that you have.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CONTRACTOR?

You are a contractor if the you are carry out some work for a company or an individual. A contractor will typically have some specialized skills such as an IT software designer and he will be working as a self- employed business. If you are a contractor the following will apply to you:

  •       ● You will be defining your own work schedule of work
  •       ● You cannot send a substitute for yourself to work that was assigned to you.
  •      ● You are not expected to be given work by the client and you are not obliged to accept it.
  •       ● You can work on more than one clients at a time
  •       ● You can advertise yourself actively even while you are working for a client.
  •       ● You use our own equipment and work space
  •       ● You are paid according to your job done and its not necessarily fixed.

UNDER WHAT STRUCTURES DO CONTRACTORS WORK?

Contractors can work as self employed and sometimes they work through an intermediary.  This intermediary is often a limited company, however, according to HMRC website it could also be a partnership, a personal service company or an individual.

If a contractor is providing a service through an intermediary, and their contract with their client is such that they would be considered an 'employee' if they had not been working through the intermediary. HMRC wants to make sure that they are paying ' broadly' the same amount of tax and NI as other employees and hence the introduction of IR 35 or off payroll working rules. To calculate deemed employment tax check the HMRC website here

It is very important that you have know exactly what kind of services you are providing and if your contract is in IR35 or out of IR35. If HMRC finds out that you were supposed to be paying income tax and NI as an employee, you will have to pay back to HMRC.

The rules and the calculations can get a little complicated, if you need help in understanding or implementing IR 35 just call Taxaccolega accountants at  020 8127 0728.  Accountants based in Surrey and Croydon are available at affordable prices to help you with your taxes and other accounting services such as VAT.

CTA Box

See How Much You Can Save

CALL NOW

Take the stress out of UK taxes and accounting today — speak with a top-rated Taxaccolega chartered accountant for personalised advice tailored to your business or personal needs.

Book a free Consultancy [wpforms id="34483"] Related Posts

ID Verification Form For Companies House

From 18 November 2025, UK law will require all company Directors and Persons with Significant Control (PSCs) to verify their identity with Companies House.

  • Companies House will issue a personal code to PSCs.
  • Taxaccolega (ACSP) can help collect data and assist.
  • Please answer the questions and upload documents.

Personal Details

Contact Details

Role in the Company *

Identity Documents


Additional (Overseas)

Privacy & Consent

You are declaring that all documents and information provided by you are true and correct, you are consenting to use and store your personal data and consenting for Taxaccolega Chartered Accountants to act as Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) on your behalf.


I confirm that I have read and agree to the above Terms & Conditions and consent to the processing of my data by Taxaccolega Chartered Accountants for the purposes of identity verification with Companies House.

Terms & Conditions – Identity Verification Process

By submitting, you authorise Taxaccolega to process your data for ID verification with Companies House.

1. Purpose of this Agreement
1.1 These Terms & Conditions apply to the collection and processing of personal data and identity documents required under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and Companies House identity verification rules effective from 18 November 2025.
1.2 By submitting your details through our online form, you authorise Taxaccolega Chartered Accountants (as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider – ACSP) to process your information for the sole purpose of fulfilling the identity verification obligations set by Companies House.

2. Client Responsibilities
2.1 You confirm that all information and documents you provide are true, accurate, complete, and current.
2.2 You accept full responsibility for any false, misleading, or incomplete information supplied, and acknowledge that this may lead to penalties or rejection of your verification by Companies House.
2.3 You must notify us promptly of any change in your details (such as name, address, or role in the company) which may affect the verification process.

3. Our Role & Limitation
3.1 We act solely as an intermediary in submitting your information to Companies House.
3.2 We do not guarantee the acceptance, speed, or outcome of any identity verification by Companies House. The final decision rests solely with Companies House.
3.3 We shall not be liable for any loss, delay, penalty, or consequence arising from:
* (a) inaccurate or incomplete information provided by you,
* (b) delays or failures within Companies House systems,
* (c) rejection or failure of verification by Companies House, or
* (d) events outside our reasonable control.
3.4 Nothing in these Terms excludes liability for death, personal injury, fraud, or any liability which cannot be excluded under law..

4. Data Protection
4.1 We will process your personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
4.2 Your data will be used solely for the purpose of identity verification and related compliance requirements.
4.3 We will retain your information only as long as required by law or regulatory obligations.
4.4 We will not disclose your information to third parties other than Companies House or other parties legally entitled to it.

5. Client Consent
By ticking the consent box and submitting your details, you confirm that:
• You have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
• You consent to Taxaccolega Chartered Accountants acting as your Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP) for identity verification purposes.
• You consent to the processing, storage, and transfer of your personal data and documents in accordance with Section 4 above..

6. Governing Law & Jurisdiction
These Terms & Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Checkout

Regular Price: £49.99+VAT £35.00 + VAT

Net Amount: £35.00

VAT @ 20%: £7.00

Total: £42.00

Your Tax, Our Expertise

Our Promise to Clients

The promptest response is Guaranteed.

We understand that tax matters often take place at the last minute near the deadline dates. Taxaccolega can still accommodate you even at short notice. Nevertheless, this haste, our top-rated tax experts can still outdo and save handsome sums of money for you.

Get in Touch

Tax returns, financial strategies, bookkeeping… this all can seem quite intimidating, but we assure you that you don’t have to navigate it alone. We commit to giving you peace of mind by bringing clarity to complexity.

What’s next? Get in touch for a free, no-obligation consultation – no pressure, just real, actionable guidance and let us take the tax stress off your shoulders.