Blog · Notes
UK contractor tax & finance notes
Posts on the small details most calculators don't surface , Budget changes, IR35 case learning, umbrella scheme warnings, and tax-planning trade-offs that change with the rates each year.
6 articles · index reviewed 28 April 2026
Tax planning · 4 May 2026 · 8 min read
Plan 5 vs Plan 2 student loan: which is worse for UK graduates?
Three of the four Augar reforms benefit the Treasury; one favours borrowers. Net lifetime cost is £4,000 to £20,000 worse under Plan 5 for most graduates, but high earners on long career arcs counter-intuitively come out slightly ahead.
Budget · 28 April 2026 · 7 min read
Autumn Budget 2025: what changed for UK contractors
Dividend rates rose 2 percentage points, NI thresholds got frozen for three more years, and the dividend allowance stayed at £500. Here's the full impact map for contractor pay packets in 2026/27.
Tax planning · 28 April 2026 · 6 min read
How the dividend allowance shrank from £5,000 to £500
The dividend allowance has been cut three times in seven years. The trajectory tells you something about the politics, and changes how you should think about salary-vs-dividend planning.
Umbrella · 28 April 2026 · 8 min read
How to spot a mini-umbrella tax-avoidance scheme
Anyone offering 80%+ retention is running a scheme HMRC will eventually pursue you for. The warning signs, the named-and-shamed register, and what to do if you've already signed up.
Umbrella · 28 April 2026 · 7 min read
FCSA-accredited umbrella companies in 2026: what to actually compare
All the headline FCSA-member umbrellas charge £15–£30/week. The real differences are pension provider quality, holiday-pay handling, customer support, and how transparent the payslip looks.
Practical · 28 April 2026 · 6 min read
Why your umbrella payslip looks smaller than the assignment rate
The day rate the agency pays the umbrella isn't your gross salary, three deductions happen before PAYE even starts. Walking through a £400/day example to show exactly what disappears and where.