The IR35 Tax Proposal
Substantially updated 19th March 2001.
The much-attacked ``IR35'' UK tax changes have already significantly harmed my
IT consultancy business that has taken over a decade to build up.
I have spent a great deal of time and effort in correspondence and lobbying
to try to get this IR35 measure blocked or overturned, since while I have
never exploited any of the loopholes it claims to block, I am being penalised
by being unable to operate my business effectively.
Clearly, other legitimate businesses are in danger too.
Write to your MP! Contact the Trade Minister Patricia Hewitt
and the E-Envoy.
My major points are summarised in the letter I sent to
Michael Wills MP, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
for Small Firms Trade and Industry and copied (amongst others)
to his successor in the role, Patricia Hewitt MP, also ``e-Minister''.
Here is some of the material in more detail:
- Correspondence up to 1st August 1999, with Dr Jenny Tonge MP (my
constituency MP), Derek Wyatt MP (chairman of the All-Party
Internet Group), and Michael Wills MP then Minister.
- Correspondence up to 1st October 1999, with Derek Wyatt MP,
the DSS, and Dawn Primarolo MP as Paymaster General.
- Correspondence up to 31st December 1999, with
Derek Wyatt MP, Dr Jenny Tonge MP, and Patricia Hewitt MP, ``e-commerce'' Minister.
- On 2nd March 2000 I again wrote to
Patricia Hewitt MP; you can see her response at the end.
- On 5th April 2000 I wrote to
Patricia Hewitt MP and Alex Allan following an intriguing item in Business Day.
- Oct 1999 article on IR35 in ``Business and Technology''
[p1
p2].
News
I have submitted a petition to the EU Parliament (Feb 2001), which they
have now received.
It will be a long wait to see if they even agree to process it.
Links
Damon
Site content copyright Damon Hart-Davis 1997--2000 unless otherwise stated.