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 [...]
CV advice you really need as a contractor
According to Forbes, the average number of people who apply for a job is 118! Incredible isn’t it? While this figure may not be a true representation of every sector or specialism, it does show that competition for roles can [...]
What are dividends and when can they be paid?
If you’re an independent contractor who is working through your own limited company, as well as being a director, you will also likely be a shareholder. This means you are entitled to receive dividend payments on any retained profits that [...]
Things to consider when making children shareholders
If you run a limited company and have children, you can give them a stake in the business and provide them with the opportunity to benefit from any profit the business makes by making them shareholders. If your children are [...]
Research and Development tax credits explained
The government wants UK companies to succeed. It’s great for employment and training and overall successful companies boost the economy. To help companies be successful the government provides an incentive in the form of tax credits, to companies who are [...]
The £85,000 FSCS protection and how it applies to your ltd company bank account
With the collapse of Northern Rock, Bradford & Bingley, Icelandic banks and others now over 10 years ago, savers should still be thinking “Is my money safe?” As your business grows, it is likely the cash you hold in the [...]
What taxes do I need to pay as a contractor?
Leaving the world of employment and stepping out on your own as an independent contractor is both exhilarating and terrifying. One of the biggest challenges you’ll face initially is getting your head around what taxes you need to pay. We [...]
What do you need to know about Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR)
On closure of a company, retained reserves (net profit after the payment of Corporation Tax) in a company can be distributed as a "capital distribution". The owners of small businesses may be entitled to Business Asset Disposal Relief (BADR) - [...]
Company bank accounts: do I need one for a private limited company?
One of the fundamental things to understand when contracting through a private limited company is that the business is a separate legal entity to you. This means that any money which is held within the company belongs to the business [...]