APSCo responds to government’s proposal to extend new IR35 private sector rules

A House of Lords Select Committee has launched an inquiry into the draft Finance Bill 2019-20.

The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has welcomed the news that this will also result in the government looking at extending off-payroll rules into the private sector.

Tania Bowers, Legal Counsel at the APSCo, commented, “We at APSCo appreciate the fact that this inquiry concentrates on the proposed extension to off-payroll working rules. We are also impressed by the scope of the questions posed by the Finance Bill Sub-Committee and its excellent grasp of the key issues that that these reforms have raised.

“The call for written evidence seems to recognise that changes to IR35 in the public sector were not as straightforward as HMRC suggests, and we are encouraged by the group’s desire to learn more about the real life experiences of individuals and organisations affected, as well as the broader impact on the labour market.”

Bowers added, “APSCo has grave concerns of the impact of IR35 reform on the economy and we are disappointed by the revised CEST tool – which does not reflect the Courts’ approach to assessing employment status.

“While this inquiry and HMRC’s own review into reforms are technically separate exercises, the fact that they are running concurrently is indicative of the scale of unease around the incoming changes. APSCo will, of course, be submitting written evidence to the inquiry to ensure that the concerns of our members continue to be heard by influential parliamentary stakeholders, and we look forward to hearing the Sub-Committee’s subsequent recommendations.”

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