Phil Hammond drives another nail home, the coffin is almost complete, we draft the order of service for the burial of Self-Employment. Two previous releases on this site and one under Guerrillatax on FB, posted in support of the right to own your labour and professional skills, are to be penalised by the chancellor tweaking the NIC’s.
Let’s find out who cuts the mustard? should the UK be graced with enough daylight hours to grow white mustard, I stand surveying the crop (in mid May) calculating how many individuals I require to reap the harvest (within a very critical time frame) I ponder my options. Firstly I could set on 26 more staff, calculate the employer’s NICs and possible pension contributions, alongside the myriad of employment legislation, huff and puff but finally resign myself to the fact that the cost will be transferred to the finished product. Secondly contact some chaps I know who do casual work as self employed farm hands, who will work for a fixed rate, no NICs no Pension contributions, no hassle. I am accused by the authorities of encouraging low tax paying workers, who will benefit from my decision. They are also not so keen, as the myopic chancellor has missed his the target, they have more tax, by way of NICs this year, so may not be available next season. We are both losers from a stray arrow!
Let me help the Chancellor to redirect his aim. The individuals forced by circumstances and often choice, are not the target, the Fenland farmers with transient labour requirements are not the target! The factory owner who seeks to benefit from operating this across his entire workforce is the target, and the Chancellor has, in effect, shot the messenger, not the Mill owner who continues to wreak havoc, denying employment to individuals, slashing labour costs and being largely ignored by the Chancellor.
