Employee or self-employed subcontractor?
Employment status depends on how the work really happens, not on what the contract calls it. Use HMRC's employment status tool for each arrangement.
| Question | Points to employee or worker | Points to self-employed |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides how and when? | You | They do |
| Can they send a substitute? | No | Yes, genuinely |
| Must they accept work? | Yes | No |
| Whose equipment? | Yours | Theirs |
| Other clients? | Rarely | Yes |
Getting it wrong can mean back-dated tax and National Insurance, plus minimum wage and holiday pay owed.
The full detail, worked examples and templates are in The Clean Start. Or work out your rate with the free price calculator.
The methods on this page are the book's own, not legal rules.
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