Contractors head to Westminster to tell MPs to Stop The Off-Payroll Tax!

19 Jun 2019

On Tuesday 9th July, the Stop The Off-Payroll Tax campaign is taking our message direct to MPs about the damaging Government plans to roll-out the Off-Payroll Tax to the private sector.

The campaign has organised a Westminster lobby day for contractors and freelancers to ask their MPs to support contracting and the UK’s flexible economy and stop this damaging measure being introduced in the Finance Bill this year, as is currently planned by the Government.

The Westminster lobby day is Tuesday 9th July 2:15-6:00pm. Contractors, freelancers and others who can attend and lobby their MP should contact campaign@contractorcalculator.co.uk.

The summary of the responses identifies several fundamental flaws with HMRC’s proposals, with experts from the tax, contracting, recruitment and legal sectors warning of the damage that legislating these changes for April 2020 would inflict on the flexible workforce and the UK economy.

MPs are being invited to a drop-in event in Parliament (5-6pm) to hear about the reality of how this ill-considered plan will damage contracting and the UK economy. The drop-in is hosted by Labour MP, Paul Sweeney, Member for Glasgow North East and a Shadow Minister for Scotland.

This will be preceded by a protest outside Parliament, followed by campaigners walking to the Treasury to deliver a letter calling on the Chancellor to listen, stop attacking contracting and halt plans to introduce the Off-Payroll Tax to the private sector; and to instead work with the sector to work out how best to recognise contracting in the tax system.

Contractors and freelancers are being asked to attend and get the message to their own MPs.

Summary of the day:

14.15 Campaigners meet outside Houses of Parliament (St Stephen’s entrance)
14.30 -15.00 Protest with placards (provided)
15.00 -15.15 Campaigners walk to HM Treasury to present letter
15.30 onwards Campaigners go to visitor’s entrance and into the Houses of Parliament
15.45 -16.45 Campaigners gather in central Lobby to meet MPs
16.45 -17.00 Campaigners escorted to MacMillian room
17.00 -18.00 Drop in with MPs hosted by Paul Sweeney

Dave Chaplin, Director of the Stop the Off-Payroll Tax campaign and CEO of ContractorCalculator said:

The Stop The Off-Payroll Tax campaign is going to be taking the message to MPs in Westminster that the Off-Payroll Tax is damaging, flawed and an attack on the UK’s flexible workforce.

We encourage contractors and freelancers and all who support and rely on the UK’s contracting sector to come and lobby MPs and ensure that this message is heard. We thank Paul Sweeney MP for arranging the drop-in event and we hope many MPs will come along and hear about the reality of how this stealth tax on business will destroy contracting and deny many businesses the skilled, flexible workforce they rely on.

It’s easy for MPs to say they support business, yet they need to put pressure on the new Treasury Minister and soon also the new Prime Minister and we hope a new Chancellor of the Exchequer. It’s time for this Government to work with, instead of attacking, UK contracting and we hope MPs will help persuade them to stop the Off-Payroll Tax roll-out and work with the sector going forward

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