Medium and large businesses getting ready for private sector off-payroll working rules in the UK

Despite calls for the start date to be delayed, it appears that the extension of the off-payroll working rules to private sector engagements will go ahead in April 2020.

Under the draft legislation, responsibility for determining whether engagements with individuals who provide their services through an intermediary (typically a “PSC”) are within the off-payroll working rules shifts to the client, with the burden of operating PAYE and collecting National Insurance Contributions (“NICs”) falling on the relevant “fee payer” in the work supply chain. 

As they prepare for the changes, many medium and large businesses are taking the opportunity to review their use of consultants and the terms of their contractor services more widely, in some cases leading to a major shake-up in engagement models. In addition to reviewing the terms which apply where a business contracts directly with a PSC, it is also important to consider the terms on which employment agencies provide contractor services.  With only six months to go until the changes go live, businesses which have not started the review process should act now.