About Contractors Recruiters Guidance Referrals Blog Contact LOGIN JOIN NOW SWITCH NOW Umbrella Vs Limited – Which Trading Vehicle Is Right For You? 03 OCTOBER 2019 SHARE THIS POST When embarking on a contractor career, the first big decision you will likely have to make is whether to operate via your own limited company or take the path of using an umbrella company. However, when presented with this question, you may immediately be thinking: what’s the difference? Limited company Working through your own limited company has its obvious advantages, in particular, giving you full control over your revenue. You get paid directly into your business bank account without any intermediary involved, and probably most appealing of all, with lower tax responsibilities for contracts outside of the IR35 legislation. You can typically expect to take home around 70-80% of your earnings. The company director controls how much they pay themselves in the form of salary and dividends in combination, and providing the contract falls outside of IR35, a number of expenses can be claimed. By going limited, you can: Maximise your income Increase your employability Trade under your own company name Have limited liability However, the limited solution also has some downsides, such as the amount of administration involved, invoicing and recording transactions, all whilst remaining compliant with a plethora of relevant laws. Running a company can take up a fair amount of time, and then there is the responsibility to pay taxes at the right time as well. It is definitely worth looking at our comparison table here as an alternative trading vehicle may be more suited to your circumstances; this is where an umbrella company can help. Umbrella service As discussed in our last blog, which explained the ins and outs, the umbrella solution takes the hassle away from the contractor. It’s ideal for short-term contracts, and all roles are inside IR35, so there are no worries on that score. All relevant deductions are made at the source with all the paperwork done for you; all you have to do is submit your time and expenses. Benefits of being an umbrella employee: Easy and quick set up in just a few hours No admin responsibilities – payroll, invoicing, chasing payments are all taken care of No need to worry about tax deadlines Ideal for short-term contracts The drawbacks to working through an umbrella start with the fact you are likely to “only” take home around 60-65% of your salary when working with a compliant provider, quite a plunge from the limited option. Through an umbrella, you may feel more restricted in regards to how you control your finances, i.e. collecting dividends, and you are also reliant on your umbrella company to quickly and efficiently manage the movement of funds. Additionally, you can no longer claim travel and subsistence expenses if you are deemed to be under SDC (Supervision, Direction and Control) in your role. SmartWork & MyAccountant Alongside our umbrella solution, SmartWork’s sister company MyAccountant offers a limited company service. They have over 15 years of experience in serving contractors and provide outstanding customer service, so please do not hesitate to contact either team if you have questions on what trading vehicle to choose. MyAccountant is available at 0800 917 9100, or you can e-mail them at info@myaccountant.co.uk. As always, if you’d like to get in touch with SmartWork, please feel free to call us on 0800 434 6446 or send us an e-mail at info@smartwork.com. For more news and blogs, remember to follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. SHARE THIS POST PREVIOUS MEET OUR SALES MANAGER - NEIL KANE NEXT NON-COMPLIANT UMBRELLA SCHEMES AND HOW TO SPOT THEM YOU MAY FIND THESE ARTICLES HELPFUL Contractor’s Guide to Umbrella Company Costs and Fees 02 DECEMBER 2020 If you are new to freelancing and just researching umbrella companies, you may wonder why there is a margin being deducted from your... READ ARTICLE Making the Switch from Umbrella Employment to Limited Company Contracting 16 SEPTEMBER 2020 If you are here reading this article, there is a good chance you already know about the benefits of umbrella employment. It is an... READ ARTICLE How do umbrella company salary illustrations work? Top tips for when shopping around. 27 OCTOBER 2020 Umbrella companies are a popular choice for freelancers that want to have the ability to work on multiple assignments while enjoying... READ ARTICLE Whitefriars, Lewins Mead, Bristol, BS1 2NT Registered in England & Wales | Registration No. 4207299 About Contractors Recruiters Guidance Referrals Blog Contact Us HAVE QUESTIONS? Call SmartWork today on: 0800 434 6446 REQUEST A CALLBACK © 2021 smartwork.com Ltd | Designed by Lucid Design Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy Gender Pay Statement Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement