ContractorUK

IT contractor demand just had its biggest monthly recovery since Q1 2025. REC data obtained by ContractorUK shows demand moved from 43.9 in March to 47.3 in April — still under 50, but on the cusp of growth. The reason isn't a hiring boom. It's the opposite: war, uncertainty and hesitation around permanent hiring are pushing UK plc back onto temporary labour. Has the contract market finally bottomed out? Or is this just clients buying flexibility until the dust settles? contractoruk.com/news/it-contra…

So mutuality went against you. Control went against you. You're inside IR35 - right? Not always. PGMOL is the latest reminder. Rebecca Seeley Harris LLB LLM MSc, writes for ContractorUK on the part of the test HMRC won on - and the part it didn't. A timely reminder, in 2026, that IR35 is decided by the whole relationship, not by mutuality and control alone. contractoruk.com/news/what-does…

The Bank of England held at 3.75% on April 30th but your mortgage quote, if you applied this morning, will start with a 5. "Lenders are setting mortgage interest rates based on swap rates, not the BoE base rate," says John Yerou, CEO of Freelancer Financials. And swap rates are being pushed up by a fractious global economy: oil, the Iran conflict, inflation fears, bond-market jitters. Hundreds of mortgage products have already been pulled since March. With the BoE’s "worst-case" scenario of a 5.25% base rate by early 2027, just how high could mortgage rates climb? contractoruk.com/news/contracto…

Applying for a role and you just feel like something is off? You are not alone. Cloned LinkedIn recruiter profiles with full employment histories. AI-voice phone calls trying to mimic agency consultants. "Add me on WhatsApp to hear about the role." Upload your CV to one portal and the calls start within weeks. And once you've engaged with a fake opportunity, your number gets sold on — the "suckers list" — and it starts all over again. Lottie ㅤHutchins writes for ContractorUK on the specific vulnerabilities — and what to do about them. contractoruk.com/news/fake-job-…

Five years of contractor policy in one sentence: Each attempt to reduce risk in one part of the system seems to introduce new risks elsewhere. IR35. OPW. JSL. MSC. The hirers reading the fine print are the ones paying for it. Andy Chamberlain, head of strategic policy and advocacy at the FCSA, writes for ContractorUK on how to break the paradox — without breaking the model: contractoruk.com/news/governmen…

A new HMRC Loan Charge settlement is on the table. The catch? Sign up and you settle all disguised remuneration matters — for good. For some contractors that'll be a clear win with the potential to save tens of thousands. For others it won't apply, won't help much, or will introduce new complexities entirely. LITRG's Meredith McCammond explains exactly who the McCann-inspired opportunity is built for — and the five steps all affected contractors need to be taking. contractoruk.com/money/can-new-…

HMRC just lost PGMOL. Its statement? "We note the decision of the tribunal." Could contractors finally start winning IR35 cases? After 10 years, 5 court hearings and £583,874 in disputed tax, the FTT has ruled professional football referees are not employees — in what the judge called "not a finely balanced case." Are you part of the squad, or the one with the whistle? It's the question every limited company contractor should now be asking after PGMOL's win — and Rebecca Seeley Harris LLB LLM MSc, Markel Tax's Danny Batey (ex-HMRC) and former HMRC inspector Carolyn Walsh explain to ContractorUK exactly why. contractoruk.com/pgmol-hmrc-ir3…

£14.6bn UK tax gap. Around 60% of it supposedly due to small business. HMRC's response: a new consultation on close company reporting along with four new self-assessment questions for directors that quietly went live for 2025/26. Brookson MD Matt Fryer writes exclusively for ContractorUK on the two-pronged push, and the salary, dividend and director loan habits worth tightening now. contractoruk.com/hmrc-close-com…

Some umbrellas have been operating using money owed to HMRC for their own cashflow. Under JSL, this model is now being called into question — process, policy and assurance come second to whether the tax has actually been paid. Professional Passport CEO Crawford Temple sets out why direct, immediate payment of tax to HMRC is the model that neutralises the risk. contractoruk.com/news/hmrc-jsl-…

Permanent hire or contractor? Firms are starting to re-evaluate. 15% employer NI. Day-one sick pay. Day-one parental leave. Unfair dismissal exposure from six months. The commercial case for the contractor model has not been this strong in years. Finance teams have noticed. The question is whether enough clients have. Lottie ㅤHutchins writes for ContractorUK on what's quietly shifted in the cost of employment, and what it means for contractors in 2026. contractoruk.com/news/permanent…

We asked HMRC the question the supply chain has been asking. Is there a defence under JSL if you've done full due diligence? The answer: no. No statutory defence. No safe harbour. No reasonable steps test. HMRC's exact words: "There is no statutory defence if relevant parties have undertaken due diligence checks." That's a deliberate choice, and a sharp departure from off-payroll. Part two of our HMRC interview is now live. Their answers, in their own words. contractoruk.com/news/hmrc-join…

HMRC stands to make a 5% annual turn on tax that's already been paid. 2,000 contractors are caught in it. Most heard nothing about it until a tax assessment landed in the post. Thirty days to pay or appeal. No prior questions. No chance to respond. Writing for ContractorUK, David Kirk of David Kirk & Co, who represents 339 of those contractors, sets out why he's asked the Public Accounts Committee to intervene in the Boox and Churchill Knight MSC case, and the three things about HMRC's investigation he finds genuinely shocking. contractoruk.com/news/hmrc-msc-…

March’s REC data seen by Contractor UK shows a significant drop in IT Contractor demand, but it is not as clearcut as the numbers suggest. Despite the REC speaking of a ‘headwind’ and cautious employers, this sentiment is not shared within the industry; VIQU IT’s Matt Collingwood reported a 25% increase over last year’s demand and market "resilience rather than contraction”. March has divided recruiters and market data, ContractorUK brings the latest contractoruk.com/news/it-contra…

Whilst no software can replace the judgement needed to run a business, the right toolkit may save you from many unexpected surprises. Between Making Tax Digital, automated invoicing tools and stringent HMRC enforcement, financial awareness matters more than ever. 2026 alone has had dividend tax increase by 2%, late filing penalties double and interest rates on a knife's edge. Chloe Wilson, head of partnerships at Tide, shares just how much digital tools contribute to a contractor's toolkit and where they make the difference. contractoruk.com/news/contracto…

Weeks into the Iran conflict, UK mortgage rates are among the biggest uncertainties for contractors. Skeptical markets, reluctant lenders, and interest rates on the verge of getting impacted. John Yerou, CEO of Freelancer Financials, breaks down how contractors can shelter from the shockwaves contractoruk.com/news/iran-conf…

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has started. It does not apply to most limited company contractors. It applies to income outside that structure. Side income. Property income. Sole trader activity. That’s where some contractors fall into scope. — Andy Chamberlain, Head of Strategic Policy and Advocacy at the FCSA, sets out where it applies — and where it doesn’t. contractoruk.com/news/mtd-incom…

Trust used to be enough. Now it isn’t. What’s said no longer carries weight. What can be shown does. More scrutiny. More direct questions. Less room for assumption. And if it can’t be demonstrated, it becomes a risk. That shift is already playing out under JSL as agencies scrutinise umbrellas. Holly Spiers, a director at SafeRec, sets out what’s changing on the ground. contractoruk.com/news/jsl-umbre…

Most contractors assume their expenses are taken care of. That’s where it goes wrong. Some things can be fixed later. Others can’t. Miss it, and you’re leaving more on the table than you think. Lottie ㅤHutchins breaks down the gaps contractors often miss. contractoruk.com/news/contracto…

We put 11 questions to HMRC on JSL. Some answers were expected. Others were more direct. One answer stands out: No light-touch enforcement. The rules apply from day one. And there’s no statutory defence. If PAYE isn’t paid, liability doesn’t stop with the umbrella. We asked what this means in practice — and who carries the risk. Full Q&A with HMRC: contractoruk.com/news/hmrc-join…

Fewer schemes are being flagged. But that doesn’t tell the full story. The avoidance list has dropped sharply. Just as JSL comes into force. JSL doesn’t find schemes. It recovers tax. So what’s really changed? contractoruk.com/news/jsl-hmrc-…