News & Advice

The National Minimum Wage and Umbrella Contracts

The National Minimum Wage and Umbrella Contracts

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) and National Living Wage set out the minimum hourly rate a UK worker must receive. It’s important to ensure that your contractors are paid at least this amount, so in this article we’ll look at how umbrella company pay interacts with...
Funding Time Off as a Supply Teacher

Funding Time Off as a Supply Teacher

Many supply teachers will only be paid when they’re working but this situation is slightly different for umbrella company employees. In this article we’ll look at how employment with an umbrella company can help supply teachers to cover their time off. Use...
The Pros and Cons of Using an Umbrella Company PSL

The Pros and Cons of Using an Umbrella Company PSL

If your recruitment agency engages contractors, there’s a good chance that it also works with umbrella companies on a regular basis and you may have considered using a Preferred Supplier List (PSL) to help you streamline the management of your umbrella contractors. In...
Amazing benefits for Our Umbrella Company Employees

Amazing benefits for Our Umbrella Company Employees

At Fair Pay Services, we’re determined to be a powerful positive force in the lives of our umbrella employees. Part of that just involves doing what you expect of us – paying you correctly and on time, supporting you as your employer and getting all the “basics”...
As a Contractor, Do I Get a Pension?

As a Contractor, Do I Get a Pension?

Investing in your future has always been a good idea, and pensions are an obvious way to start. The earlier you start saving, the easier it will be to give your future self the gift of a comfortable retirement, so in this article we’re looking at the question of how...
Umbrella Company Pay: Why it Should be Predictable

Umbrella Company Pay: Why it Should be Predictable

The question of when our employees will be paid is by far the most common query we receive, just because it’s so important to contractors to know when to expect their money. In fact, in our experience, predictable pay is the answer to most of the stress in most...
The New Tax Year 2024/25 What You Need to Know

The New Tax Year 2024/25 What You Need to Know

The new tax year started on 6th April 2024, and in this article, we’ll detail the things that Fair Pay Services employees might need to know. PAYE tax rates and allowances Personal allowances for PAYE tax and the primary threshold for National Insurance Contributions...
Why Tax Compliance Isn’t Just About Risk Control

Why Tax Compliance Isn’t Just About Risk Control

The recruitment and contracting industries often discuss tax compliance in a fairly negative, cautionary way, citing the potential consequences for recruiters and contractors if they get involved in tax avoidance. It’s important to understand why tax avoidance is a...
Why PSCs are Unsuitable for Healthcare Workers

Why PSCs are Unsuitable for Healthcare Workers

As a recruiter, you may see healthcare workers who want to contract through their own Limited company, often called a Personal Service Company, or PSC. The expectation is that as the director and shareholder of a PSC they can take advantage of tax-planning...
How Does It All Work With Umbrella Companies?

How Does It All Work With Umbrella Companies?

How much will I be paid if I work through an Umbrella Company? If you are paid by an Agency / Employment Business directly, then the rate it offers you (commonly known as the PAYE rate) is the amount, before your PAYE Income Tax and Employees National Insurance...
What is a Key Information Document (KID)?

What is a Key Information Document (KID)?

A KID should be the first document you receive from the recruitment agency looking for temporary work for you. This type of recruitment agency is known as an ‘employment business’. The KID should set out the key information about your relationship with the employment...
APSCo Public Policy meeting with HMRC

APSCo Public Policy meeting with HMRC

We recently attended APSCo’s Public Policy meeting with HMRC.  The session covered Off-Payroll Working (IR35) – calculation of PAYE liability in cases of non-compliance and Tougher consequences for promoters of tax avoidance.  We’ve summarised the points...
JobsAware Partnership

JobsAware Partnership

We are delighted to announce that we have now partnered with JobsAware. JobsAware provides free help and advice to UK workers who believe they might have suffered from job scams or unfair working practices. They resolve issues directly where possible, but where they...
Would you like to help us battle Climate Change?

Would you like to help us battle Climate Change?

With the UN Climate Change Conference – COP26 drawing to a close, we’ve teamed up with our partners at Flexr for an initiative to help balance our carbon emissions. For every worker registered with us before 31st December 2021, the team at Flexr have...
How can employees avoid paying too much NI?

How can employees avoid paying too much NI?

Did you know that employees with multiple jobs may be able to pay a lower rate of Employees NI if they are already paying their full quota through another employer? Employees must pay the standard rate of 12% on earnings between £184-£967 per week, thereafter the rate...
VAT payments deferred due to COVID-19

VAT payments deferred due to COVID-19

If you deferred VAT payments due between 20th March and 30th June 2020 and still have payments to make, you now have options when it comes to repayments. You can: • pay the deferred VAT in full now • join the VAT deferral new payment scheme – the online service is...
Budget 2021

Budget 2021

There is just under a month to go until Wednesday 3rd  March, when the government will publish the Budget. The annual Budget usually includes statements on pay, taxes, benefits and other financial issues. Last year’s Budget was very different to other years, as Rishi...
EU Settlement Scheme

EU Settlement Scheme

EU, EEA or Swiss citizens currently employed to work in the UK can continue to do so despite Brexit. The Government’s EU Settlement Scheme was introduced to allow existing EU, EEA and Swiss citizens residing in the UK to continue living and working in the UK...
Finance Bill 2019-20 IR35 Update

Finance Bill 2019-20 IR35 Update

In keeping with the House of Commons’ ‘financial privilege’ that the House of Lords will not amend a money bill, Finance Bill 2019-21 passed its second reading in the Lords on Friday. It then passed its committee stage, report stage and third reading as formalities in...
Government Update on CJRS May 29th

Government Update on CJRS May 29th

On Friday 29th May, the government announced some updates to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and their plans around getting the country back to work.  You can view the government’s published announcement here –...
Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)

Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS)

Coronavirus has caused disruption for many business owners, leaving them struggling with finance and cash flow issues. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) has had an extremely low acceptance rate and due to the banks carrying a 20% risk of loss...
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

You will no doubt have seen the recent government announcements around furloughing employees’ and the government covering the cost of this for 80% of their usual wages up to £2,500 per month. It seems pretty straight forward for your own recruitment consultants and...