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Unlocking talent: navigating hiring options in the UK

With a large and diverse market and a skilled and innovative workforce, the UK offers many opportunities for businesses looking to launch or expand their footprint. However, setting up in the UK also comes with its own challenges and complexities, especially when it comes to hiring staff.

How you choose to hire individuals in the UK has a significant impact on your legal and tax obligations.

We explore the advantages and challenges of the different hiring options.

Contractors

As of April 2021, the UK government reformed the off-payroll working rules (commonly known as IR35), changing the rules for hiring contractors who operate via intermediary companies. These changes aim to ensure that individuals, who work like employees but operate through their own intermediary companies, like Personal Service Companies (PSCs) pay similar tax and social security contributions as other employees. However, navigating IR35 compliance can be a double-edged sword.

The rules do not apply to self-employed individuals who should be subject to separate status checks.

The rules also require organisations to determine the tax status of workers engaged through Personal Service Companies or certain other intermediaries. A Personal Service Company (PSC) is a limited company that is set up by an individual contractor to provide their services to clients.

Where it is determined that a worker would be an employee for tax purposes, if they were engaged directly by their end client, payments need to be subject to tax and social security through the payroll.

Pros

Cons

Employer of Record (EoR)

EoR arrangements allow an individual to be employed by a third party in a different country. They are often seen as a low-compliance alternative to hiring employees directly, particularly if you’re expanding into multiple countries.

Although this solution may appear to reduce local compliance requirements, it does not eliminate the permanent establishment (PE) risk. A business could still have a taxable presence and be liable for corporate income tax in other jurisdictions. This could surface as a non-compliance issue in due diligence for your future funding rounds or acquisitions.

EoR arrangements are typically used to provide short-term solutions for companies looking to test a new market. If you’re willing to pay the mark-up to your global employment partner, the flexibility that the arrangement offers could be beneficial if you decide to exit the market after a few months.

Pros

Cons

Direct employees

When entering a new jurisdiction, many businesses hire staff as contractors or under an EoR arrangement, assuming that it takes months to add a new direct employee to the payroll. But in the UK, these registrations typically take just one week to complete.

Pros

Cons

How we can help

With our international network of tax specialists, we collaborate with you to review your operations. We proactively identify potential risks based on the OECD guidelines and suggest strategies to mitigate the risk of permanent establishment.

Our Foreign Direct Investment team understands the critical importance of getting expansion plans right the first time. We offer expert advice and solutions tailored to your specific needs, ensuring a smooth and successful transition into the dynamic UK market.

authors:gayle-davies,authors:mike-sables,authors:samantha-day