Police called to investigate disguised remuneration scheme promoters

Tax charity lodges a formal request for criminal investigations into ‘anyone continuing’ to peddle DR schemes.

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HMRC writes to limited company directors over furlough scheme usage

Miscalculation ‘fear’ hits the taxman, as SEISS overpayments trigger his plea for you to review your CJRS usage.

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IR35 victory over Talksport presenter ‘inspired government to stick to its IR35 reform guns’

Significant win on Mutuality against a high-profile PSC came just at the right time, says off-payroll expert.

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Offer loan charge contractors a 10% tax rate, chancellor urged

Sunak asked to put a special income levy on all DR loans, and a six-month declaration delay.

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What the IR35 defeat of Kickabout Productions Ltd means for contractors

A defence about the sports presenter’s ‘brand’ could have produced a very different result.

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15 top tips to turbo-charge your contractor business out of covid fatigue

CV expert Matt Craven has some ‘no-nonsense’ advice to help put your rivals in their place.

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Brexit in the covid age: what overseas contracting in the new normal might look like

Six scenarios which Brexit guidance to work temporarily abroad will likely refer to, and which contractors should beware.

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Contractors’ Questions: Would the flexible furlough scheme help my limited company?

Expert gives a potted history of the CJRS, including why PSCs are lukewarm about it.

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Contractors, here’s what you can take from covid-cautious clients mandating WFH

There’s changes for your pitch, and even IR35 upsides, in the new normal of deserted offices.

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Temporary staff recruiters size up ‘tough’ covid-19 jobs market

Self-care, asking for feedback, and going back to basics are among agencies’ top tips.

Study exposes IT sector skills mismatch, in the UK and abroad

‘Astonishing’ and ‘rife.’ A testing firm reflects on data it computed on the top 25 tech jobs.

Self-isolation order hits UK contractors returning from France and the Netherlands

Brits touching down face 14 days indoors if they’ve worked in any of six new covid-19 hotspots.

Getting the best out of CEST: how to work with HMRC’s IR35 tool, if you must

Officially ‘well short of what’s required,’ the online status tool should offer a hard hat to anyone who picks it up.

What’s happening right now in contractor recruitment, thanks (and no thanks) to covid-19

This crisis has been very different to its forerunners. Herrings, cats, dogs, and bears. With contractors bitten and mauled.

CJRS has updated over 50 times: here’s some key details contractors may have missed

The devil could be in the ever-changing detail. But fortunately on NI, redundancy and overtime, there’s now clarity.

Why Jesse Norman’s claims about the state benefits limited companies have won't convince anyone

The minister reckons PSCs have got it good. Actually, official support for them falls woefully short.

CJRS: How limited company contractors can keep furlough scheme compliant

Furlough fraud? They’d be much less risk if even us experts could count what CJRS version we’re now on.

Placing UK contract workers overseas: a guide to getting it right

Both agencies and contractors eyeing opportunities abroad need to look before their leap.

Contractor sector falls into recession, as covid-19 bites, 'substantially'

A great decline from the pandemic has pushed freelancer income into the red, with devastating prospects – IPSE.

HMRC widens ADR access while making the service covid age-ready

Contractors’ advisers back Alternative Dispute Resolution being virtually available, and ‘at any stage’ pre-FTT.

Talksport presenter Paul Hawksbee shown the red card on IR35 status

HMRC puts one in the back of the net against Kickabout. But it’s not without those who contest it.

IR35 liability and responsibility: off-payroll refresher for April 2021

With the SDS and SDP now demystified; let’s turn to who decides, who’s in the frame and how to get help.

Furloughed PSCs get help with overclaims, ahead of the CJRS turning more costly

Advice if you’ve taken too much needs heeding, given HMRC says it’s disinterested in innocent mistakes.

Dolan 'delighted' as covid-19 legal challenge gets the go-ahead

The entrepreneur is assured of his day in court to fight the government’s lockdown.

IT contractor demand leaps as the economy reopens from covid-19

Tech hiring downturn eases in line with lockdown lifting, but ‘we’re not in the clear yet.’

Contractors, does Companies House restarting voluntary strike-offs affect you?

The dissolving process resuming signals business as normal. The monetary considerations will soon be anything but.

Contractors, context not just proportion, is vital to compute HMRC’s new APN data

There’s no secret to Accelerated Payment Notices reducing. The taxman has just run out of targets.

What a better way for HMRC to tackle disguised remuneration might look like

A conditions-based contractor amnesty would let the taxman protect and serve, and avoid a painful rerun.

Maintaining Social Connections While Working From Home

Working from home can be a very relaxing experience, but it’s important to plan ahead to ensure you adapt to the new work environment. Staying connected to others is very important. Business relationships are extremely valuable in virtually every industry, and those who are setting up home offices often struggle to stay connected. You can actually improve your business relationships at home fairly easily.

I’ve personally found that relaxing at home can make it a lot easier to be productive and stay in touch with long-distance coworkers. Making a nice meal or preparing a drink are two luxuries you can’t normally experience in an office setting. Giving yourself time to relax may make you more productive, and you can always stay occupied by focusing on things you enjoy while working from home. I’ve often found that preparing a milkshake or smoothie before an online business meeting keeps my brain alert and focused. There are many different recipes online, but I like to make one from Monin flavored syrup, peanut butter, vanilla ice cream, and peanut butter cups. It’s an extremely rich snack, but it often gives me the energy I need to get through late-day meetings and teleconferences with coworkers. You can even add a little bit of rum to make it a white rum smoothie with peanut butter flavoring.

Staying Connected at Home

If you’re a freelance worker, then you’ve probably found your profession somewhat isolated. Freelance work rarely involves working in teams, so you may want to consider reaching out to a group of workers in a similar profession. Using message boards is a great way to stay in touch. You can make a lot of friends by networking through social media, and you may even end up building vital business connections. Working at home requires you to set your own schedule. This can seem liberating, but it also means you need to manage your own time efficiently. Communicating with other people in the same profession can help you stay on task and meet your personal performance goals. Other like-minded individuals are working within the same constraints as you, and you can easily discover a common bond by discussing your personal performance goals for the year.

Relaxing While Social Distancing at Work

Staying at home also affords many people the freedom to do things they couldn’t normally do at work. Businesses have dress codes and strict protocols employees must follow, but you can essentially do what you want when you’re working from home. Some businesses may require you to clock in at certain times, but you can choose ways you personally manage your time at home. You normally only drink in an office setting during holiday parties, but people can drink responsibly while being productive in the home office. Making a small cocktail during your lunch break can make it easy to relax as you finish up your day. You can also make a clever mocktail and forget about the alcohol.

Social distancing prevents us from going on vacations right now, so making a Caribbean cocktail can make you feel like you’re getting a bit of an escape as you complete mundane tasks in your home office. You can easily prepare South Seas Rum Punch using a few simple ingredients.

SOUTH SEAS RUM PUNCH

INGREDIENTS

• ice
• 1 oz. Monin South Seas Blend
• 1 1/2 oz. gold rum
• 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1 oz. orange juice
• 3 dash(es) bitters

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine ingredients in shaker in the order listed, except sparkling beverage.
2. Cap and shake vigorously.
3. Pour into serving glass and add any needed ice.
4. Top with sparkling beverage and garnish.

Refrigerate the concoction for at least three hours. You can make this at the start of the week and sip it intermittently during your lunch break or at the end of the day.

There are certainly many other ways to relax at home while staying connected with coworkers. You can be creative by setting up a work environment that is both comfortable and productive. It should be easy to maintain social connections if you are creating a friendly work environment. People will sense your attitude toward your profession and enjoy working with you. Social distancing has become part of our daily lives, so we should do everything in our power to make the workday at home as enjoyable as possible.

IR35 status disagreement process: off-payroll explainer for April 2021

How to navigate the client-led process when contractors don’t agree with the decision and want it changed.

Hundreds of HMRC customers wrongly sent APNs ‘are collateral damage’

Taxman recalling more notices than he sends represents a drop in the ocean which he’ll be fine about spilling -- expert.

Status Determination Statement: off-payroll explainer for April 2021

What the document containing your IR35 status says, what it should look like, and when it should be sent.