Boris Johnson’s views will be a crucial factor in the coming days leading up to the proposed IR35 reforms that will be imposed on the private sector as of April of 2020. A new prime minister and a new chancellor will be in place soon as well, which could also lead to change. The emergency budget will be made in the autumn, and then the private sector will have more information to work with regarding the changes that are about to be implemented.
Who is Responsible?
David Cameron and George Osborne have now chosen to be responsible for IR35 reform in the public sector. Philip Hammond and Theresa May are accountable for the enormous changes taking place in the private sector that are now going to go into effect April of 2020. This proposed budget will be under scrutiny and contractors will likely be lobbying against the changes.
Sajid Javid Has Things to Say about Freelancers and IR35
Sajid Javid has recently made it clear that he wants IR35 to be fair and to be easier to follow. He stated in a 2015 House of Commons speech that this was his primary goal. He himself is from the banking sector, and he is the Managing Director of Deutsche Bank. He knows what kind of benefit a contract worker can be for a company. This makes him unlike the other people in charge who seem to have no idea how freelancing works. May, Hammond, Cameron and Osborne have no practical experience with contracting or with freelancers. Javid has indicated that there is a major fallacy at the heart of the argument that both self-employed and employed people should be required to pay the same tax.
Boris Johnson’s thoughts about IR35 and Contractors
The research that was done did not turn up many things that Johnson has said about IR35. He has expressed views that are favourable to contractors and the self-employed thankfully. During his terms acting as Mayor of London, he said that “In an increasingly competitive global economy, a nimble-footed workforce is essential.”
Johnson seems to feel that self-employment will now grow due to the number of talented workers that are in demand. He has been quoted saying that a diverse pool of freelancers will now be able to help businesses to remain lean and efficient. This way of thinking is very positive for freelancers who are currently trying to weather the storm.
