In the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor announced that the “off payroll” workers rules that currently apply in the public sector would be rolled out to the private sector in 2020. The government has now issued a consultation paper that sets out proposed tax and national insurance changes that will impact on those supplying their services through personal service companies.

 

End users will be required to determine whether the rules apply to the services provided by the worker via his or her personal service company. This will be a significant additional administrative burden on the large and medium-sized businesses who will be required to operate the new rules. The current CEST (Check Employment Status for Tax) online tool would be improved before the proposed start date.

 

No change for “Small” Employers

 

“Small” businesses will be outside of the new obligations and services supplied to such organisations will continue to be dealt with under the current IR35 rules with the worker and his or her personal service company effectively self-assessing whether the rules apply to that particular engagement.

 

The definition of “small” has been widely awaited and the Government has confirmed that it intends to use the existing Companies Act 2006 definition. That is where the business satisfies two or more of the following features:

• Annual turnover of £10.2 million or less
• Balance Sheet total of £5.1 million or less
• 50 employees or less

 

The new obligations to determine whether the rules apply, deduct tax and national insurance, and report payments under RTI will apply to the agency or intermediary making payments to the personal service company where the end user is large or medium-sized. There will be an obligation to pass details of the status determination up and down the labour supply chain.

 

The liability for tax and national insurance will be the responsibility of the entity paying the personal service company, however, if HMRC is unable to collect the tax from that entity the liability will pass up the labour supply chain thus encouraging those entities further up the supply chain to carry out due diligence to police compliance.

 

Please contact us if you would like to discuss how the proposed changes are likely to impact on your business.