Contractor Articles

marketing | 6 January 2017
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The latest figures from a recruitment body might be discouraging for any contractors that made ‘getting a new job’ one of their New Year’s Resolutions.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), whose latest figures cover November last year, found that the number of contract vacancies for jobseekers fell by five per cent compared with figures from the previous year.

marketing | 31 October 2016
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A landmark court ruling has found that Uber drivers are not self-employed contractors and can be classed as employees.

The employment tribunal ruled that the taxi app drivers are entitled to minimum wage and other benefits.

It was the case of the decade for employment law – pitting the popular lift hailing app company against one of Britain’s most powerful unions in a tribunal case that threatens to shatter the so-called ‘gig economy.’

The ruling isn’t just important for Uber, its drivers and its customers - it could also have more far reaching consequences for other self-employed contractors and their employers.

In this blog post we take a closer look at the case and evaluate some of the potential consequences of the ruling.

We are delighted to announce that Daniel Moss has won the Practice Excellence Awards for the many new initiatives he helped implement at Umbrella Accountants.

Up against some stiff competition, Daniel won the award as a result of his constant commitment to innovation and his work on our online Self-Assessment Tax Return completion pack.

The Practice Excellence Awards judges agreed with our submission that Daniel is “a model technology-led accountant, making sure he ensures compliance while embracing new ideas and technology”

If you have more than one unexplained transaction related to the same category on your FreeAgent portal, you can explain these in one go by clicking on the ‘more options’ tab and tick the relevant transactions.  For instance if you have bought a number of train tickets you can quickly allocate all of those transactions to travel costs in a few clicks.

marketing | 22 August 2016
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Industry insiders have responded negatively to a consultation on the government’s latest IR35 proposal.

The proposal would see public sector organisations made responsible for determining the IR35 status of a contractor. Practically, this means that many more Personal Service Company contractors will be caught out by the IR35 legislation.

The contractors would be forced to pay tax as if they were traditional full-time employees, without enjoying any of the same employment rights and benefits.

Many inside and outside the industry see this as unfair. There is also a large amount of concern about some of the proposal’s unintended consequences.

The Freelancer & Contractor Services Association (FCSA) warned against leaving the decision to parties that will struggle to make an accurate IR35 assessment. 

marketing | 15 December 2016
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Triple congratulations are due to Adam Connell.  Not only did he make history in November by becoming the first to win Umbrella’s prestigious Employee of the Month award twice, but he also picked up the company’s annual Customer Relationship Excellence award, and is celebrating promotion to Senior Account Manager!

All good things come in threes! 

Well done Adam!  Well deserved!

marketing | 31 October 2016
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A new feature in FreeAgent will now calculate your submissions and tax liability for you on a monthly basis.

Here's how to use it

Go on the work tab and create a new project.

marketing | 30 September 2016
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Add your Agency’s email address in the contact tab to email invoices directly.

Once you have created your invoice, you can then email this directly from FreeAgent by a click of a button. You will also have peace of mind your client has received this as you will receive a delivered status.

marketing | 26 September 2016
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Umbrella.co.uk are delighted to announce that Nicholas Holmes, CEO of Umbrella.co.uk, has been elected to the Board of the FCSA (Freelancer & Contractor Services Association).

Umbrella.co.uk is an associate member of the FCSA which is now the largest trade body for compliance in our sector, and has very stringent criteria for membership.

The Great Umbrella Bake Off 2016! Umbrella Accountants are still battling it out with their baking skills.

This week Sophie Evitts baked some truly scrumptious M&M - Choc Orange - Dime Bar Brownies!!

Watch out for more delicious bakes over the coming weeks! To make sure everyone in the department takes part they have the motto “No Bakey, No Cakey!”

Sophie's provided the recipe below. Her secret top tip is "Replace the crème eggs with crispy M&Ms', Terrys Chocolate orange and Dime"

http://www.cookbakeeat.com/cadbury-creme-egg-brownies-scrumptious-recipe/

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