Claiming interest on buy-to-let mortgages as a contractor
Anyone who has rental property or works in tax will know about the relatively recent changes HMRC have made to how landlords are allowed to claim the interest on their mortgages. See below: % of Mortgage Interest can be deducted [...]
Top tips for getting a mortgage when self-employed
According to HomeLet’s Rental Index, the average rent in the UK is £941 per calendar month. Many people see this as ‘dead money’ - going straight into the landlord’s pocket, with little benefit for them. If you’re one of the [...]
Charging interest on late payments
According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), late payments by clients causes 50,000 small businesses to go under each year. This is estimated to cost the UK economy £2.5 billion. For contractors and freelancers, the personal cost of late-paying [...]
Grants and loans available to contractors
Small businesses including contractors and freelancers have become a driving force in the UK. The latest figures by IPSE – the Association of Independent Professional and the Self Employed, puts the number of self-employed at 4.8 million, who contributed £275 [...]
Thinking about changing your company car? Why waiting until 2020 could be a good idea
If you’re a contractor who is thinking of purchasing an environmentally friendly company car through your limited company, due to the car benefit changes, you may be better off waiting until 2020 to do it. Tax on company cars [...]
How to improve cashflow in your contracting business
According to research 8 out of 10 businesses fail within their first two years of operating. The number one reason is poor cashflow. The company could be making huge sales, but if their overheads are equally large or if their [...]
Freelancing from a coworking space – could it work for you?
The world of work is changing, and more and more people are choosing to become self-employed freelancers and contractors. IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and Self-Employed) states that the number of self-employed in the UK now equates to 4.8 million, [...]
Are there any benefits to retaining a limited company while working ‘inside’ IR35?
Contractors are used to hearing that it’s best to avoid contracts which place them inside IR35. The main reason being that there’s a fair chance you’ll be deemed to be an employee and tax and NI will be deducted at [...]
Contracting abroad: Why professional advice is a must
If you’re offered the opportunity to contract abroad, it may be tempting to grab your passport and rush off to the airport. Not many people would blame you for doing this, as depending on the country you’re contracting in, you [...]
Surviving your first year as a contractor
Right now, is a fantastic time to become a contractor, particularly if you work in the IT and tech sector. Contractors with specialist skills in data science, cybersecurity, frontend developers and change managers are especially in high demand. And, our [...]
Top tips for dealing with stress an IT contractor
The IT sector can be a highly pressured environment, with clients demanding you get systems or projects up and running within the shortest time possible. This can lead you to working long hours to meet these tight deadlines. While you [...]
SG Accounting shortlisted for Best Contractor Accountant in the Contracting Awards 2019
SG Accounting are delighted to be shortlisted for the inaugural Contracting Awards 2019 in the Best Contractor Accountant category. A high number of nominations were received and, after being judged by the Contracting Awards panel, SG Accounting has made the [...]
Harnessing the power of client testimonials
As well as having a killer CV and dazzling references another way to get work as a contractor is having client testimonials on your website or social profiles. A client testimonial is a mini case study which is provided [...]
Tips on how to use LinkedIn for your contracting services
Love or loathe social media, it’s hard to ignore it. Since its launch in 2003 LinkedIn has grown to be one of the top ten biggest social media platforms – it has over 500 million global registered users with 25 [...]
IR35 in the private sector: draft legislation announced
Contractors’ questions on the new ‘off payroll’ working reforms are beginning to be answered, as the government announces draft legislation for the Finance Bill 2019-2020. IR35 in the private sector, as it is commonly referred to, is due to [...]
Should IT contractors have their own website?
Research by APSCo (Association of Professional Staffing Companies) shows that the demand for IT professionals has increased by 28% year-on-year. And our own research into contractor salaries (available in our article ‘Top paying contractor roles’) shows that IT contractors are [...]
How to generate leads as a contractor
The vast majority of contractor’s secure work through a recruitment agency as it takes the hassle out of job searching and recruiters have access to more job opportunities. Yet, by marketing your contracting business it’s possible for clients to approach [...]
5 ways to increase your take-home pay
One reason why people choose to become contractors is that they can have the ability to earn more than they did as an employee. This is because they can charge higher rates and if they think about how they structure [...]
Upskilling and CPD for contractors
As an independent contractor the majority of your time is spent on client work (as this is what pays the bills!) but as more people choose to become contractors (figures for 2018 show that there around 1.77 million people are [...]
Top-paying sectors and roles for contractors in 2019
Contracting may not be for everyone but for those who are willing to fully embrace it, they can find themselves having greater control over the type of projects they work on, being able to choose which companies they work with [...]