Personal experience prompts enthusiastic response from Steve Brine for changes to maligned 'IR35' legisaltion.
Prospective Winchester MP Steve Brine has warmly welcomed a fundamental review of small business taxation matters, including IR35, which will take place if the Conservatives win the General Election.
Steve says; “Over ten years ago Labour introduced the IR35 rules which affect over a million self employed people. I know the issues here well as, during my time working in Westminster with the Shadow Dti team, we bitterly opposed the legislation and I think accurately foretold its negative effect on freelancers and the self-employed.
“Whilst there were problems with tax evasion, Labour Ministers introduced the rules in such a clumsy way that they have affected tens of thousands of people who are acting perfectly reasonably. The IR35 tax rules are part of a wider problem surrounding the taxation of small businesses by Labour. Ever since 1997, Gordon Brown has constantly tinkered with the tax treatment of the self employed, husband and wife businesses and other similar small enterprises. The result is the worst of worlds for the self employed: uncertainty, unnecessary risk and unfairness.”
Steve says it is now clear that simply scrapping IR35 would not resolve many of issues around the taxation of small businesses and argues that to do so its own would be the same piecemeal approach which has failed under the present Government.
“So instead a Conservative Government would undertake a fundamental review of small business taxation matters, including IR35. We would mandate the new Office of Tax Simplification to conduct this review, with the aim of creating a comprehensive and lasting regime. Our aim would be to create a clearer, stable and lasting tax regime for the self employed and small businesses. This review is part of a wider Conservative aim to free enterprise and small business across the UK.
“As a self-employed contractor myself in recent years I have personally experienced some of the difficulties this clumsy piece of legislation has caused and warmly welcome this announcement, as will many thousands of similarly employed people in the Winchester area.”
Pictured; Steve recently hosted David Cameron at New Career Skills in Chandler's Ford