alix776:
I’ve been doing it for 4 years no good preaching to me but agencies aren’t doing up here for 20 per hour they charging 100 per shift and expecting a 15 hour day
yep and plenty of mugs to do it as well. 
Winseer:
The big question here is "how much does the average SE driver invoice PH for their services?I’ve already said I’d not do it for less than £18ph, so someone make a debate out of it!
Efficient use of the tax allowances coupled with creative accounting means I’m better off this year than last year despite earning a whole lot less in gross pay… and this works with me on PAYE to boot! Choosing when I work has a lot to do with it - something that many tend NOT to do, as they’re afraid that turning down a shift means they might not be asked back again…
Sorry lads , but your dreaming with £18.00 per hr, i got agencys ringing me all day long offering men at £13per hr, often even less
Would that be richmond yorkshire rather than richmond upon thames?
Your username being the only inference I have to go on here…
Close, but no cigar, richmond glos…To be honest at the moment we have no need for agencys because we got plenty of good men who will do the odd day or two self employed at £100 a day plus 23 a night out, go self employed , as a ltd co, get some cards made and give them out, you will get a few days here and there, but i fear these people here telling you to charge 18 an hour etc are very misguided, and if you beleived them you may spend some of your money and be very disapointed, best to keep it real me thinks good luck, self employed isnt that hard, but do it via a ltd company, you can buy one , i use paramount in london, they cost about £80 quid.
being self employed but only working for one firm, the tax man dosn’t like it at all.
however, you don’t really have nothing to worry about.
let’s say you start working for them on a self employed basis in April 2012. you won’t pay any tax for 12 months, and no one will come sniffing around. then next year you go into the tax office, and ask for some help with your tax return, whilst acting a little naive. they will do everything for you.
but here’s the good bit. you won’t be liable for tax. the company you have worked for will be liable, but only if you have worked for them in the same way as you would if you had been on PAYE. in other words, as long as you havn’t worked for any other companies in a similar role.
You’d only be touting for £18ph in areas where the agencies are billing £20ph and paying the drivers £8-£13ph which is a lot more common in the home counties. I was always left wondering why inner city britain in general doesn’t have an economy like London, as after all it’s just another inner city eh? 
Do agencies further afield pay extra for ADR/Hiab/Moffet? You only get 50p ph more than the base for that class vehicle, meaning if you are C+E and take the trouble getting a hiab for example, you’ll find yourself down from £9-£10ph midweek C+E money to £8+0.50p (C+Hiab) in some places even down here!
Inside the M25 is a different matter of course, but I don’t live in London in any case.
The sheer number of agencies touting the same clients for the same work however makes me wonder how any of the buggers can actually make any money - unless they’re charging premium rates for “last minute callouts” and the like, which I suspect, but have not actually seen as yet. 