Our primary goal has always been to drive compliance throughout the supply chain and ensure our agency partners and contractors are operating legally and safely. This partnership is a 360 degree, end-to-end IR35 solution, ensuring those who are genuinely outside of IR35 can continue to work in this manner whilst giving their business a commercial edge.
CEST is HMRC’s online tool Check Employment Status for Tax. It is an optional online test hosted on the Government website and consists of a number of limited questions regarding a contractor’s IR35 status. It was introduced in 2017 to assist public sector engagers to determine IR35 status, which is one of the obligations under the off-payroll reform. CEST is also in operation for IR35 changes in the private sector, which will be introduced on 6th April 2021.
When we launched the Qdos Status Review facility, which was introduced before CEST, there were no dedicated IR35 services to help recruitment agencies and end-clients successfully navigate IR35 changes. There are now plenty to choose from – even more than we have included in the table below. In our expert opinion, they each offer a more reliable alternative to HMRC’s flawed CEST tool.
So as we approach IR35 reform in the private sector, we have one simple request: whichever service you choose to manage your IR35 compliance, make sure it’s not just CEST.