Hardhats
Would you rather be on the golf course with your mates or fielding questions from HMRC about the employment status of your subbies? Even if you aren’t a golf fan, we bet you’d prefer to face 18 holes. In fact, there’s probably a whole host of things you’d find preferable to an HMRC enquiry. After […]
There are many myths surrounding the long-term use of subcontractors in the construction industry. Government guidance on what constitutes genuine self-employment is vague. And many payroll companies spread misinformation on purpose to scare construction firms into using their services. While there isn’t one single thing that determines employment status, there are three key “tests” HMRC […]
There are many myths surrounding the use of subcontractors in the construction industry. One of the common myths we hear is that subcontractors can’t drive your company cars or vans. This isn’t true. Your subcontractors can drive your company vehicles. However, if HMRC suspects you are disguising employees as subbies, they might use the fact […]
Many payroll companies would have you believe the only way to use subcontractors long-term is to use a payroll company, but it isn’t. You can work with self-employed subbies for as long as you want, as long as you can demonstrate they are genuinely self-employed. But if you are simply trying to disguise your employees […]
Nobody starts a construction business because they find admin, paperwork and health and safety policies exciting. But boxes have to be ticked. Information is required. And all those certificates, licences, and subcontractor details need to be stored somewhere. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Protect yourself from HMRC enquiries into the employment […]
The combination of myths, mistruths and misunderstandings surrounding how you can and can’t work with subcontractors is causing unnecessary headaches for construction firms. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to share the truth behind the bollocks so construction firms can make decisions based on facts, not hearsay. A common subject that causes confusion is […]
Do you need a formal contract for services between you and your subcontractors? Or should you just keep the arrangement informal? Is there any point putting official paperwork in place when you’ve already been working with your subbies for a while with no issues? Or can you just carry on as you are? Well, that’s […]
Last year, the Lighthouse Sportsman’s Luncheon raised £58,000 for the charity, which is why we’re over the moon to be sponsoring the event for the second year in a row. And we’re hoping this year’s event will raise even more money for this amazing charity. About Lighthouse Club The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has been […]
If you’ve ever looked into getting a subcontractor contract drawn up, you’ve probably come across the “right to substitution” clause. It’s something we’ve mentioned ourselves in previous blog posts. But what does it mean, how important is it, and are you obliged to honour it? After all, you probably don’t want your subbies sending any […]
You might think we’re pretty tough on payroll companies, and maybe we are. It’s not that we don’t think there is value in what they do – we just don’t like it when they use sneaky tactics to scare construction firms into working with them. It was this scaremongering that inspired us to set up […]
Ever thought it was strange that payroll and umbrella companies say you can’t pay subbies long-term, but then they do exactly that? Odd, isn’t it? What if we told you you don’t need a payroll or umbrella company to work with subbies long-term? You can pay them without going through a third party or upsetting […]
In 2008, Castle Construction was taken to tribunal by HMRC over the employment status of their subcontractors. HMRC believed 314 of their subcontractors should be reclassified as employees. Some of the arguments put forward by HMRC included: Subcontractors were paid at an hourly rate Subcontractors wore hi-viz vests with the Castle Construction logo on Castle […]