Contractors Group IPSE on Election Promises
At this coming election, contractors group IPSE must endeavour to get specific election promises from the parties. This is the time to do it.
They should be neutral as far as the different parties are concerned. They should just lay out what the different parties are going to do on UK contractor issues.
Before the last election, they rushed out a press release telling contractors about their great piece of news. The Conservatives, if elected, would take a look at IR35.
The inference was that they might abolish it. Getting IR35 abolished was why contractors group IPSE (formerly the Professional Contractors Group) was set up.
This was exciting news, they thought.
Conservatives IR35 History
The Conservatives did exactly as they promised. They looked at IR35 again. They decided that they would keep it.
Not only that, Chancellor, George Osborne, said that he would STRENGTHEN IR35 and hired 36 more compliance staff in Edinburgh, Salford and Croydon to do so.
I bet that came as a surprise to IPSE committee members. However, the Conservatives promised them nothing other than that they would look at IR35.
This time round, contractors group IPSE must be a bit smarter, less naive and more discerning – and, frankly, more neutral.
Party Promises on UK Contractor Issues
They should pin down exactly what the different parties are offering on UK contractor related matters.
What are the parties going to do about IR35?
What are they going to do about Contractor Umbrella Companies? Labour and the Conservatives have already said that they would target the expenses that umbrella company contractors claim against tax.
What are they going to do about Personal Services Companies as related to UK Contractors? The Conservatives are already saying that they will cut out what they can claim on travel and subsistence allowances.
What are they going to do about companies importing IT workers from abroad?
What are they going to do about offshore outsourcing.
Umbrella Company Expenses
These are matters on which contractors group IPSE need to tie the parties down. They have some help, already, as some of their polices are down on paper like on Umbrella Company expenses and IR35.
Contractors group IPSE should, in a neutral fashion, set out what each of the parties have done on contractor issues, what they have already said they are going to do, and what they tell IPSE they are going to do.
UK Contractors need to have that information to make their choice.
