What was in a letter from Merseyside Police to candidates standing in elections to be a councillor warning them not to break the law?
What was in a letter from Merseyside Police to candidates standing in elections to be a councillor warning them not to break the law?
Merseyside Police letter to candidates and agents 2019
A letter from Merseyside Police to all candidates and agents (which can be viewed above) in the elections of a councillor to Wirral Council states that there will be “a focus on education rather than education rather than prosecuting minor breaches of Electoral Law” but at the same time warns that, “It is the absolute responsibility that all candidates and agents should make themselves aware of these guidelines and if someone is going to run as a candidate then ignorance of these guidelines will not be a defence.” Continue reading “What was in a letter from Merseyside Police to candidates standing in elections to be a councillor warning them not to break the law?”
Has Liverpool City Region Combined Authority been paying the right amount of income tax and national insurance on payments to personal service companies?
Has Liverpool City Region Combined Authority been paying the right amount of income tax and national insurance on payments to personal service companies?
This is a rather complicated story involving the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) and one of its contractors called Green Blue Skies Limited that I will do my best to explain as well as I can.
Earlier this week following a request for information to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority I received a copy of an invoice dated 30th June 2017 from Green Blue Skies Limited for £2,400 for consultancy work.
A copy of the invoice (partly redacted) is below.
Green Blue Skies Ltd invoice LCRCA 30th June 2017
Green Blue Skies Ltd (according to Companies House) is owned by its sole director Mrs Victoria Jane Kelly.
It’s a personal service company that provides professional services (as detailed on the invoice) to clients (in this case the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority).
As being paid for work through a limited company compared to being an employee of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority led to tax advantages, in February 2017 Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued guidance on what is termed off-payroll working rules.
The upshot of the guidance is that from February 2017 in relation to personal service companies providing services to public authorities such as the LCRCA was that when the off-payroll working rules applied the following should happen. Once the public authority was invoiced, the public authority would deduct the equivalent in tax and national insurance as if the person had been an employee from any payment made to the personal service company.
I just don’t understand why the two figures match when according to the guidance LCRCA should have deducted tax and national insurance from the amount paid?
Perhaps you could find out for me why and leave a comment?
Contact details for LCRCA’s Treasurer and external auditors are below.
