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The number of tax avoidance schemes being 'named and shamed' by HMRC appears to have plummeted, just as Joint and Several Liability (JSL) takes effect. Experts quizzed by ContractorUK were unable to pinpoint a technical reason for the taxman adding considerably fewer firms to his 'naughty list' on the cusp of JSL coming into force. Coming the closest, however, was Andy Chamberlain, head of policy at the Freelancer & Contractor Services Association (FCSA).

The Post Office has spoken about 'ineffectively managing its contingent workforce's tax status,' after HMRC issued it an IR35 bill of £104,441,881 for flouting the off-payroll rules. The tax bill for Post Office Ltd (POL) represents the single largest failure of a public sector body under the Off-Payroll Working (OPW) legislation since it took effect on April 6th 2017.

The UK contractor industry's focus may be on upcoming Joint and Several Liability and reform of the Conduct Regulations. But a consultation that closed yesterday, "Working paper on options for reform of non-compete clauses in employment contracts," also highlights issues contractors will want to watch closely. What are non-compete clauses?

Signs of a potential uplift for IT contractors since November 2025 softened in January 2026. Dubbed the "Looking For a Job Month" by the REC, which released data showing the softening, January saw IT contractors say they will prioritise "value creation" to get hired.

Your Profile Sector / Industry Location Experience Level IR35 Status Inside IR35 = taxed as employee via PAYE Your Current Rate (Optional) £ Enter to see where you sit in the market Your Day Rate Range ✓ Verified Data Lower End £350 25th percentile Market Median £450 50th percentile Upper End £575 75th percentile Equiv.

There's an unfortunate impression doing the rounds that limited company IT contractors aren't affected by HMRC's PAYE issues, including its rampant overcharging, writes Carolyn Walsh, a former inspector of taxes and now the managing director of Oblako Ltd.

Demand for IT contractors took a full index point step towards growth in December 2025, defying the seasonal slump which historically hits before Christmas. Appetite for contract technology skills in the UK now stands at 47.0, three index points below growth (50.0), but above 46.0 in November 2025, says the REC. The REC's full dataset from its monthly Report on Jobs shows that IT contractor demand also scored higher in December (47.0) than in any other month of 2025 except May.

For basic advice on how to land a temporary technology role in 2026, consult your local recruiter. Or maybe don't, according to this IT manager's post from just yesterday, which shows how some agents can deeply damage job candidate confidence. And an agent himself, Nicholas Hopkins, director of contract at VIQU IT, says IT contractors in 2026 should sack off his type, if agents don't do for their freelance tech career what they once did.

With the Autumn Budget 2025 on the horizon, many limited company contractors are wondering whether the £500 dividend allowance could be next in line for Rachel Reeves' red pen. My fellow accountants and I here at SG have already been asked this a lot, and Autumn Budget 2025 is still over a fortnight away, writes SG Accounting boss Dan Mepham. The Treasury's dividend squeeze, more of the same on Nov 26th?