The majority of people seem to think our industry is, in some strange way, akin to black magic, operating a dubious and secretive method of tax avoidance. However, nothing could be further from the truth! We are actually quite dull and dare we say, boring. Being perceived as somewhat cavalier and operating on the periphery of legality sounds much more colourful.
Crystal Umbrella is an Employment Management Company set up for the sole purpose of employing temporary workers; Contractors, Freelancers, Locums, Temps and Interims etc and making their contracting life more rewarding, hassle free, profitable and most of all legally compliant.
Most contractors believe they are self-employed, due to the fact that they call themselves “Contractors” and not permanent staff, which is another myth. The majority of contractors, some 85% of all fixed term contract workers, are actually “Deemed Employed”, in the eyes of HMRC and as they are Her Majesty’s tax collectors, we are not going to argue with them on that point.
The simple fact is, a contractor’s true working status is based on two finite points; what the terms of their contracts state and their actual working practices when working, (which now overrules the written contract). Whether a contractor is deemed to be self-employed is completely determined by these two points and cannot be decided by the contractor.
So, you may well be asking yourself, what will Crystal actually do to assist me and make my life easier? The simple answer is, we can help the 85% of contract workers who are deemed employed make the most out of their earnings, by legally reducing a workers tax liability in allowing them to claim their business expenses.
As a simple example, leaving aside personal tax free allowances, on average a worker who earns £300 a week and claims £100 in business expenses that week, will only pay tax on £200 rather than the full £300, obviously this reduces the amount of tax they pay and maximises their net or take home pay. It makes what we do sound just a little more interesting now, doesn’t it?
That’s just the beginning though, because we also provide comprehensive assistance and support in the following areas:
As the UK’s leading Umbrella Company, we are recognised for our unsurpassed quality of service and professional advice, which is why we are proud to have helped over 15,000 contractors to maximise their income and remain on the right side of HMRC.
Crystal Umbrella is also an Association of Employment Management Companies (AEMC) certified Umbrella Company, which means we have chosen to follow and maintain a set of comprehensive standards that we constantly strive to improve.



