FCSA welcomes Cashplus as new business partner
The Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA), the UK’s largest trade association for professional employment services, has agreed a partnership with APS financial, a leading digital challenger to banks, providing business current accounts, through its Cashplus product for freelancers and micro businesses. Since 2004, Cashplus has provided alternative banking solutions to over 70,000 micro-businesses in…
Parasol and ClearSky membership of FCSA
Updated on 6 November 2018: Further to the article below, on 6 November 2018, we were pleased to announce that Parasol and ClearSky, part of the Optionis Group, are now FCSA Accredited Members. Please read full article confirming their accreditation – click here> The following was posted on 3 May 2017: Regrettably, we announce that…
Is a new era dawning for contractor accountants?
Witten by FCSA Business Partner, FreeAgent These are changing times in the UK’s accounting industry. Quite apart from tax and regulatory changes on the horizon – especially relating to IR35 – technology continues to evolve at a frantic pace and a new age of automation is underway that looks set to drastically change the way…
Workplace dress codes and equality Issues – The Government response is in!
On 20 April 2017, the government published its response to the House of Commons Petitions Committee and the Women and Equalities Committee joint report on high heels and workplace dress codes. As you may remember, the Committees’ report highlighted that while the Equality Act 2010 may be clear in theory, its application to individual cases…
How does IR35 work in the public sector?
Download the FCSA’s guide to IR35 in the public sector to understand the changes that came into effect on 6 April 2017.
FCSA outraged that HMRC continues to hamper small businesses as software fails to cope with dividend tax changes
As the first tax returns are being filed since HMRC introduced the dividend tax allowance in 2016, FCSA has learned that HMRC’s software is preventing the UK’s freelancers and contractors who work through Personal Service Companies (PSCs) from submitting an online tax return. HMRC’s software cannot compute how the dividend tax allowance interacts with other…
Cyber and Data Protection Risks to Businesses
Written by FCSA Business Partners, Jelf The recruitment, umbrella, payroll and accountancy sectors are not immune from cyber-criminal activity, and are open to huge costs and regulatory defence and penalty costs. The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) surveyed 1200 companies recently and they found that larger companies with over 100 staff were more likely to…
Advice for Employers on Long-Term Sickness Absence
One of the trickier HR matters for employers to manage is long-term sickness absence. Many employers are nervous about dealing with employees on long-term sickness absence, either because they are mindful that the employee’s condition may amount to a disability and that the employer may find itself facing a discrimination claim if it takes certain…
Beware tax avoidance schemes exploiting opportunity from IR35 changes
On the day that IR35 reforms come into effect in the public sector Julia Kermode, chief executive of the Freelancer & Contractor Services Association (FCSA), the UK’s largest independent trade association for umbrella firms and specialist contractor accountants which has been leading a campaign against the legislation said: “Today’s changes will impose a significant burden…
What does the future hold for IR35 legislation?
Tomorrow (6th April 2017) will see the introduction of significant changes to IR35 legislation for public sector contractors, with organisations set to become responsible for determining a contractor’s IR35 status. For now, the rules for contractors in the private sector remain unaffected , and they will continue to be responsible for determining their own IR35…