MPs have approved rollout of IR35 in 2021

-

MPs have approved rollout of IR35 in 2021

Agreement has been reached by MPs at the Committee stage of the Finance Bill amendment today (18/06/20), resulting in the rollout of IR35 in April 2021.

This now means that on the 06/04/21, medium and large businesses will become responsible for administering the IR35 status of any contractors they use.

Seb Maley, CEO of Qdos, who offers insurance and tax advice for the self-employed said:

HRreview Logo

Get our essential weekday HR news and updates.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Keep up with the latest in HR...
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Optin_date
This field is hidden when viewing the form

 

It’s hugely disappointing, albeit unsurprising, that MPs have given the 2021 rollout the green light. For years the Government has mistakenly been under the impression that contractors abuse the IR35 rules. In our experience, this simply isn’t the case.

If mismanaged, these changes pose a real threat to contractors, the recruiters who place them and the businesses that engage them. It’s therefore vital that companies impacted by IR35 reform continue their preparations and ensure they are in a position to make accurate IR35 decisions well in advance of the implementation date.

Firms yet to consider IR35 need to immediately, while companies that banned contractors in anticipation of the reform need to understand that it can be managed with the right approach.

In May, David Davis, the Conservative MP for Haltemprice and Howden and other backbench MPs tabled an amendment that the legislation should be delayed until 2023-24 in the House of Commons on the 19/05/20. However, it did not receive enough support as the Labour party declined to vote on the amendment.

In the run-up to the 2019 General Election, Bill Esterson, Labour’s shadow minister for international trade on the 25/11/19 said the party would put a stop to IR35 being introduced to the private sector, he then backtracked on this and said the party would review IR35.

The House of Lords released the report ‘Off-payroll working: treating people fairly’ which “exposed the many flaws” of the legislation”. Still, the Government made it clear it still intends to roll out IR35 in 2021. On the same day the report was released (27/04/2020), Jesse Norman, the financial secretary to the treasury indicated in the House of Commons that the Government is still planning to introduce IR35 in to the Finance Bill 2020-2021. Which has now come to fruition.

Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.

Latest news

Curtis Holmes: Payroll is the driver for employee engagement

Payroll has long been treated as a back-office necessity: essential, but not something that shapes culture or drives engagement. This no longer stands.

Labour market yet to show major AI impact on jobs, govt adviser says

A government economic adviser has challenged predictions of widespread AI-driven unemployment, arguing labour market data has yet to show disruption.

Young workers ‘pressured into signing NDAs after workplace injuries’

Workers say injuries are being hidden behind confidentiality agreements while financial pressures leave many afraid to challenge unsafe conditions.

CIPD recognises 30 HR leaders driving change across UK workplaces

The CIPD has unveiled its HR30 list for 2026, recognising senior people leaders whose work has delivered measurable impact across organisations and workforces.
- Advertisement -

Brits dream of being their own boss, but still cling to the monthly pay cheque, survey reveals

Britons say they like the idea of self-employment, but most still value the security and stability of traditional jobs.

AI Coaching Won’t Replace Managers. It Will Expose Coaching Debt.

As AI coaching expands, employers may gain a clearer view of where manager support is falling short.

Must read

Thomas Dubaere: Why building talent beats buying it

“To build or buy talent?” is a question that many companies ask themselves when assessing the merits of either training their own people and investing in their development throughout their careers, or alternatively, hiring ready-made professionals from competitors.

Nick Elwell Sutton: A claim of two halves?

The recent claim by a former director of Sunderland Football Club was reported in the press before Christmas, principally in relation to a lewd Christmas card he had sent from his work email but this was a wrongful dismissal claim that also involved a number of allegations of breaches of confidentiality
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you