Offshore employment companies

Produced by Tolley in association with

Employment Tax

Guidance

In the past, HMRC has investigated a number of attempted avoidance schemes involving offshore employment intermediaries. Those schemes were mainly aimed at avoiding secondary (employer) Class 1 NIC. HMRC considered most, if not all, of the schemes to be flawed, and it continues to challenge them, although enquiries can be complex. Against this backdrop, HMRC conducted a review during 2013 as to how best to change the rules relating to offshore employment intermediaries being used to avoid tax and NIC to make enforcement easier. This focused in particular on the deliberate hiring via an offshore entity (agency) to take advantage of the rule that payment of contributions cannot be enforced where the employer has no place of business in the UK.

As a result of the review and subsequent consultation process, the government introduced legislation effective from 6 April 2014 to prevent avoidance in the payment of secondary NIC by offshore umbrella and agency companies, and where workers are employed on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS)

Access this article and thousands of others like it
free for 7 days with a trial of TolleyGuidance.

TAKE A FREE TRIAL

Paul Tew

Writer and advisor at Paywatch

Paul Tew is a freelance adviser, primarily in the areas of pay, personal taxation and remuneration planning. A frequent contributor to technical journals on pay and benefits issues, having written for the "In Business" section of the Times. Paul continues to supply articles for various recognised professional publications including Pay and Benefits magazine, Taxation magazine and Company's Secretary's Review. Paul also has had several loose leaf and bound books published on a variety of subject matter including PAYE, NIC, Sickness and Maternity Pay. Paul has written and presented training courses as well as headed up payroll and employment help desks and acted as an assessor for recognised Payroll/HR qualifications. Paul previously worked in the healthcare and oil sectors managing Pay and benefit services, so has many years of experience in dealing with PAYE and employment compliance issues across a broad range of industries and organisations.

Popular Articles

Trusts and Inheritance Tax

Outright gifts

Outright giftsAn outright gift is the most straightforward type of gift. It simply involves the outright transfer of property from one person to another with no conditions attached.This type of gift is most suitable for clients who want to pass over modest amounts, or give to responsible and capable

14 Jul 2020 12:22 | Produced by Tolley in association with Emma Haley at Boodle Hatfield LLP Read more

Owner-Managed Businesses

Residential property and capital allowances

Residential property and capital allowancesResidential property ― plant and machinery allowancesOrdinary residential property does not, and never has, qualified for capital allowances. as CAA 2001, s 35 denies plant allowances for expenditure incurred in providing plant or machinery for use in a

14 Jul 2020 17:14 | Produced by Tolley in association with Martin Wilson and Steven Bone Read more

Corporation Tax

Withholding tax

Withholding taxIntroductionUK tax must be withheld on UK payments including:•interest•royalties•rental incomeUK withholding tax may be reduced under the provisions of a double tax treaty (DTT). Prior to 1 June 2021, payments of interest and royalties made to EU resident associated companies were

14 Jul 2020 14:01 | Produced by Tolley Read more

��Ӱ��