Recent reports suggest that HMRC may be increasing its activities in its enforcement of VAT rules. The suggestion seems to be that HMRC’s ‘HETs’ (Hidden Economy Teams – set up to look into people evading, among other things, value added tax) have become extra vigilant – the Freelance:UK website says that, “in the first half of this year, […]
Forgive us if you feel you’ve heard this all before, but freelancers working unpaid is squarely back in the news. The Creative Industries Federation reports that 8 out of 10 freelancers admit that working for free is “the norm”, with many feeling they have to do it to bolster their reputation and their portfolio. The […]
With the summer slowly drawing to a close, we thought it’d be a good time to make sure you’re aware of all the important tax deadlines remaining between now and the end of January, 2018. MAF customers will, of course, be notified in good time and we’ll be helping you to fill out all the […]
Of the many things that new freelancers and contractors have to get their heads around, insurance is often very low on the list. It just seems so fiddly and expensive, doesn’t it? But imagine falling sick for any serious length of time and not having freelance insurance. Imagine being charged with negligence (it could happen!) or theft […]
In this week’s Startup Stories interview, we chat with a young Birmingham-based entrepreneur (and fellow MAFster) who aims to take on two strands of the computing world at the same time. Here, Erik Gustaf Akerman talks to us about launched Thriving Ventures during his years as a student at Aston University. In an in-depth discussion, […]
The quarterly IPSE Confidence Index was published yesterday, and while glimpses of positivity shone through, the general feeling was one of unease. IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) compiled their report from the responses of 691 IPSE members, focusing on questions pertaining to business confidence, perceived demand for freelance work, and the factors […]
Launching your own business is about starting something new and fresh. It’s very much a beginning, so the idea of bringing it all to a close and retiring is probably about the furthest thing from your mind. However, as we found out when we chatted with Alex Caulder – an expert on pensions for freelancers […]
Week in, week out, we turn up in your inbox on a Friday morning offering you friendly advice on things you ought to do to be a successful, shining example of self-employedness. What we rarely do is give you guidance on what to avoid. So, this week, we sat down with My Accountant Friend main […]
Fascinating news broke yesterday ahead of the publication of the forthcoming Taylor Review (an official report into employment practices in the modern economy led by the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, Matthew Taylor), suggesting that three-quarters (76%) of the UK’s micro businesses aren’t set up to deal with extended sick leave. While […]