IR35 BLIND SPOT CHECKER

COULD YOUR CONTRACTOR PROCESSES STAND UP TO HMRC SCRUTINY?

IR35 risk doesn't arrive. It accumulates. One ad-hoc decision, one unreviewed extension, one supplier doing things their own way. Check where the gaps are before they get expensive.

Could you say, right now, exactly how many contractors are working across your business — including those engaged through agencies?

Does every contractor engagement have a documented status determination (SDS), made before they started?

Is there one consistent process for making those determinations — or does it depend on which manager, department or supplier is involved?

Are determinations reviewed when a contract extends or the role changes — or does the original decision just roll on?

Do all your recruitment suppliers apply the same screening and compliance standards — and could you evidence that?

Does anyone in your business own the full picture of contractor spend — rates, margins, and how they've moved?

Your process resilience score

– / 12

Answer the six questions to see where you stand

Be honest — this is a mirror, not a test. Nobody's watching, and the score isn't stored anywhere.

What this does — and doesn't — tell you

This checks the resilience of your contractor-management processes: visibility, consistency and governance. It does not determine the IR35 status of any individual engagement, and it isn't tax or legal advice — status determinations depend on the specific facts of each contract and working arrangement. What weak processes do reliably predict is difficulty evidencing reasonable care if HMRC comes asking. That's the gap this highlights, and the one worth closing first.

Contractor hiring is doing more of the heavy lifting than ever — our latest Talent Trends Report covers what that shift means for compliance risk in regulated markets.