I
Not an answer to your specific question but fwiw…
Perhaps worth mentioning that the smaller companies and agencies will pay you pound notes if you ask for it. Obviously you don’t ask this over email or over the phone where there can be a record; you pull them aside and speak face to face. They are that desperate for bums on seats. Adjust your rate accordingly to take other factors into account 
.
steve_watt:
I only used to do a couple of days per week. I went onto 5 days a week agency last year on PAYE. I was thinking of going limited company but decided against it as it was finishing in march this year. I see that there are still drivers on a limited company basis, is this still ok or will the tax man come down on them.
I don’t know that much about it, but new rules on IR35 came in recently. Essentially you may set up a ltd company, but the entity that pays you has to make a decision on whether to deduct tax and NI before handing you money. If this were to happen would this defeat your purpose for wishing to go ltd company or not?
If you are a contractor and you give a quote for some work and complete it regardless of time spent, then this is unlikely to fall under off-payroll working. If you are paid by the hour, then you are much more likely to be considered an off-payroll worker (that is possibly offering a simplified view, but might give some idea as to the concept).
I was Ltd for about 8 years, but I wouldn’t do it now because firstly HMRC might start taking more interest in one man bands still trading.
Secondly most big companies like wincantion, DHL won’t touch you, so you only beable work for smaller firms
Lastly now the rates have shot up on PAYE I am taking home just about the same as I was on Ltd before April. So in my opinion it definitely not worth the risk.
Whats the point and then have to do tax assessment.Just go to work and let someone worry about that.
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.
How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
Morally no.
steve_watt:
I see that there are still drivers on a limited company basis, is this still ok or will the tax man come down on them.
The better agencies won’t touch Ltd with a bargepole because of their liability when the tax man cometh. And he does cometh especially now when the government is trying to claw in all the money it can because of what it’s spent because of Covid and all the furloughs and SEISS money paid out.
Some companies will touch Ltd but they’ll often deduct tax and NI out of any invoice you send them to make sure they’re not in breach of IR35.
It’s not worth it anymore. A HMRC investigation can so costly you can actually buy insurance policies to cover the costs.
Conor:
steve_watt:
I see that there are still drivers on a limited company basis, is this still ok or will the tax man come down on them.The better agencies won’t touch Ltd with a bargepole because of their liability when the tax man cometh. And he does cometh especially now when the government is trying to claw in all the money it can because of what it’s spent because of Covid and all the furloughs and SEISS money paid out.
Some companies will touch Ltd but they’ll often deduct tax and NI out of any invoice you send them to make sure they’re not in breach of IR35.
It’s not worth it anymore. A HMRC investigation can so costly you can actually buy insurance policies to cover the costs.
Don’t want to get involved in the rights and wrongs of LTD v PAYE but if you have legal assistance on your household policy it very often specifies cover for legal costs raised in HMRC investigations, not sure if it would cover the scenario on this thread but worth mentioning.
Tyneside
Gist, Culina, Great Bear are just three of the clients that take on LTD drivers.
However, with PAYE drivers now on parity pay and getting holiday pay and employer’s pension contributions it’s not really worth it…and most clients have stopped accepting LTD drivers.
You can actually pay less tax under PAYE than LTD if you’re on more than one agency’s payroll. This is because the first £184/week of income that you get on EACH agency’s payroll doesn’t attract employee’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs).
For example, if you work one day each week for five different agencies, you could earn up to £920 (5 x £184) each week without paying a penny in employee’s NICs. It’s a crazy system, but that’s the way it is.
According to hmrc, drivers aren’t getting away with anything if they take advantage of this because that’s the way the system has been set up.
carlston49:
For example, if you work one day each week for five different agencies, you could earn up to £920 (5 x £184) each week without paying a penny in employee’s NICs. It’s a crazy system, but that’s the way it is.
That isn’t really a real world example though is it? Having a second job would be a more realistic example, where perhaps 12% of £184 could be kept in one’s pocket whereas it would have been payable through just one employer. Saving £22 a week.
eagerbeaver:
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
I used to use nova years ago to avoid paying too much tax.I thought it was a clever thing to do until I needed a life saving operation on the NHS which would have cost 100000 dollars in US.
It made me stop and think,even when I go to a museum now,I don’t opt for letting them avoid tax.
The world would be a better place if everyone thought like you,I’m sure
eagerbeaver:
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
I agree with most of your posts but disagree with you on this. Rather than directing your ire at the lowly truck driver who is just trying to make ends meet and live a reasonable life, you should instead be directing it at the owners of companies like Amazon who avoid paying tax through using shell companies and office addresses in the Cayman Islands and their cronies in UK government turn a blind eye to it because taxes only apply to the little people.
Or maybe direct it at the governments and bankster cronies themselves who continue to attempt to keep their completely broken fiat debt-based monetary system afloat by endlessly “printing” more money, thus reducing your spending power every day and then on top of that they will increase your income tax and every other tax so that YOU have to pay for their ■■■■-ups. 
But no-one seems to notice; no-one seems to care. Just shut up and keep paying your dues, right?
The ltd co driver not paying his tax will have absolutely zero effect on little old Doris not getting her NHS hearing aid. The entire system is corrupt and rotten to the core.
eagerbeaver:
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
The sooner this is stamped out, the better. How on earth can you be classed as a self employed driver with no lorry? Good post mate. 100% agree with this.
DCPCFML:
eagerbeaver:
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
I agree with most of your posts but disagree with you on this. Rather than directing your ire at the lowly truck driver who is just trying to make ends meet and live a reasonable life, you should instead be directing it at the owners of companies like Amazon who avoid paying tax through using shell companies and office addresses in the Cayman Islands and their cronies in UK government turn a blind eye to it because taxes only apply to the little people.
Or maybe direct it at the governments and bankster cronies themselves who continue to attempt to keep their completely broken fiat debt-based monetary system afloat by endlessly “printing” more money, thus reducing your spending power every day and then on top of that they will increase your income tax and every other tax so that YOU have to pay for their [zb].
The ltd co driver not paying his tax will have absolutely zero effect on little old Doris not getting her NHS hearing aid. The entire system is corrupt and rotten to the core.
Since when have 2 wrongs made a right?
Tax evasion is illegal by individuals and companies.
Tax avoidance, should be viewed the same way.
Anyone criticising big business while working their own “little fiddle” is indefensible.
.
(And anyone voting for any politician promising lower taxes, then moaning of poor pay for nurses, lack of schools, crap roads, should question their own grip on basic economics too)
+1 you should pay your tax and do your duty for your country.
tyneside:
Don’t want to get involved in the rights and wrongs of LTD v PAYE but if you have legal assistance on your household policy it very often specifies cover for legal costs raised in HMRC investigations, not sure if it would cover the scenario on this thread but worth mentioning.
Tyneside
Not for a Ltd Company it doesn’t because the household policy is taken out in the name of the individual not the Ltd Company and under UK law a Limited Company is seen as a separate legal entity from the person who “owns” it.
DCPCFML:
The ltd co driver not paying his tax will have absolutely zero effect on little old Doris not getting her NHS hearing aid.
But hundreds of thousands of Ltd Co drivers all doing the government not just out of £1000s a year in tax but also just as much in NI will.
A thousand drivers doing the government out of a total of £5000 in tax/NI is £5 million and there were a hell of a lot more than a thousand drivers and many were doing the government out of much more than £5000 - if you were grossing £40k it could be over £10,000 you were diddling the government out of. Some of the more savvy ones even had the cheek to then claim £1000s in tax credits because they claimed they were on a low income.
Franglais:
DCPCFML:
eagerbeaver:
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
I agree with most of your posts but disagree with you on this. Rather than directing your ire at the lowly truck driver who is just trying to make ends meet and live a reasonable life, you should instead be directing it at the owners of companies like Amazon who avoid paying tax through using shell companies and office addresses in the Cayman Islands and their cronies in UK government turn a blind eye to it because taxes only apply to the little people.
Or maybe direct it at the governments and bankster cronies themselves who continue to attempt to keep their completely broken fiat debt-based monetary system afloat by endlessly “printing” more money, thus reducing your spending power every day and then on top of that they will increase your income tax and every other tax so that YOU have to pay for their [zb].
The ltd co driver not paying his tax will have absolutely zero effect on little old Doris not getting her NHS hearing aid. The entire system is corrupt and rotten to the core.
Since when have 2 wrongs made a right?
Tax evasion is illegal by individuals and companies.
Tax avoidance, should be viewed the same way.
Anyone criticising big business while working their own “little fiddle” is indefensible.
.
(And anyone voting for any politician promising lower taxes, then moaning of poor pay for nurses, lack of schools, crap roads, should question their own grip on basic economics too)
But why should tax avoidance (legal) be viewed the same as tax evasion (illegal)? Every one with an ounce of intelligence would reduce their tax bill legally (tax avoidance) given the know how.
Aggressive tax avoidance is still legal but goes against the “spirit of tax rules”, which then begs the question who defines the difference between tax avoidance and aggressive tax avoidance?
robbo99.:
Franglais:
DCPCFML:
eagerbeaver:
No, it’s not ok. Some older members of communities require walking aids & wheelchairs etc, many people of all ages require medicine(s), plenty folk with learning difficulties/other challenges require specialist support.How about people stop trying to avoid paying tax so that we can all help each other out ffs…plenty of folk go down the LTD Co route in order to avoid paying tax as their sole reason. In my opinion it’s wrong.
Unless you are an owner operator and have an OL, as a truck driver you are EMPLOYED. Crows & magpies are scavengers by virtue of nature & have no choice in the way they are, human beings have a choice; Pay your way or be a scav.
I agree with most of your posts but disagree with you on this. Rather than directing your ire at the lowly truck driver who is just trying to make ends meet and live a reasonable life, you should instead be directing it at the owners of companies like Amazon who avoid paying tax through using shell companies and office addresses in the Cayman Islands and their cronies in UK government turn a blind eye to it because taxes only apply to the little people.
Or maybe direct it at the governments and bankster cronies themselves who continue to attempt to keep their completely broken fiat debt-based monetary system afloat by endlessly “printing” more money, thus reducing your spending power every day and then on top of that they will increase your income tax and every other tax so that YOU have to pay for their [zb].
The ltd co driver not paying his tax will have absolutely zero effect on little old Doris not getting her NHS hearing aid. The entire system is corrupt and rotten to the core.
Since when have 2 wrongs made a right?
Tax evasion is illegal by individuals and companies.
Tax avoidance, should be viewed the same way.
Anyone criticising big business while working their own “little fiddle” is indefensible.
.
(And anyone voting for any politician promising lower taxes, then moaning of poor pay for nurses, lack of schools, crap roads, should question their own grip on basic economics too)
But why should tax avoidance (legal) be viewed the same as tax evasion (illegal)? Every one with an ounce of intelligence would reduce their tax bill legally (tax avoidance) given the know how.
Aggressive tax avoidance is still legal but goes against the “spirit of tax rules”, which then begs the question who defines the difference between tax avoidance and aggressive tax avoidance? Because the law of the land certainly doesn’t.