Contracting guides for everyone
Whether you’re making your first foray into contracting or you’re an old hand with bags of experience, there is always something new to learn. And who better than Parasol, one of the UK’s biggest employers, to help guide you through everything you could possibly need to know?
From the pros and cons of using an umbrella company, versus going limited through our sister company ClearSky Accounting, we’ve put together a series of guides to help you get the most out of your career.
Introductory Guides for Contractors
- Working as a Contractor or Freelancer; this guide discusses the four main options that are available to someone who wants to start contracting.
- For an introduction both to umbrella companies and how they fit in with contracting, read Umbrella Companies for Contractors.
- Using an umbrella company can take a lot of pressure off, but they can’t do everything for you! See Contractors’ Responsibilities for more information.
- If you are thinking about Setting Up a Limited Company, have a read of our guide first!
Guides to Contracting and Tax
- Read the Contractors’ Guide to VAT for an explanation that includes how the VAT Flat Rate Scheme could save you money.
- National Insurance for Contractors covers the changes to NI contributions and entitlements as a result of contracting.
- Nobody likes filling in forms. Read about the P60, P11D and P35 forms and find out which ones an umbrella company can fill in for you!
- Find out about Income Tax for Contractors and contracting with PAYE through an agency or umbrella company.
Other Contracting Information
- The Contractors’ Insurance Guide explains Professional Indemnity insurance and Public and Employers Liability insurance from the standpoint of an umbrella company employee.
Agency Workers Regulations
The Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) is a piece of EU legislation that has been implemented in the UK in October 2011. It has huge implications for temporary work agencies and the contractors, freelancers or temps who find work through them.
The aim of AWR is to protect vulnerable workers from exploitation and provide them with same basic employment conditions as their permanent equivalents after 12 weeks of service – mainly the right to the same pay, working hours and holidays.
We’ve developed a website to help the industry get to grips with what the legislation means, to listen to the views of everyone affected and to work collaboratively to find legitimate solutions that will protect the robust employment sector in the UK, whilst supporting the right of lower paid agency workers not to be exploited.
Here’s just a taste of what you’ll find on the website:
- Library of the legislative announcements to date
- Latest opinion from the policy makers
- Jargon buster – the common terms in plain English
Plus, you can sign up for regular updates to keep you fully up to speed.
Click here to visit the website. Here you will find all the information you need about the legislation and what it means for you.
