Anonymous

London

Job hunter

'Tax breaks' for unemployed contractors - IR35 stopped that!

RE
"IT contractors currently cannot claim the cost of training as a legitimate business expense, which can make it very difficult for older contractors to update their skills and remain attractive to employers," said Swain.

Yes - I most of my 'technology' skills are outdated - I couldn't afford the £18000 per course £8000 to the tutors, and £10000 tax and NI.

Short-sighted not to - well I had to live on the net from the weeks in the year I was employed - and IR35 made sure there was no fall-back cash in the 'company' for the lean times, and we have sure had some of them recently.

Now unemployed or working 'full time' in a fairly low paid jobs - what use is a 'Tax break' with no spare income.

I'll have to continue as an fill-in worker, or unemployed until somebody employs me for my knowledge of business processes/needs tax audit security backup/recovery accounting and legal compliance, at sufficiently high rate that I can take several weeks off and afford the courses to get up-to-date again. –
Recertification in those skills how many weeks training, and how much will they cost – Some advice please?

(Er! I'm not working as a contractor, I will have to pay for those courses out of my PAYE take-home wont I)

Then – with no income including jobseekers allowance ( I will have left my prior job of my own volition) I'll have to find that wonderful new job

And I'm only just over 55 so that's a whole 10 years to find such a job before I get my state pension.