IR35 Planning and Preparation Workshop: An Intensive Practical Training Day

Julia Kermode

Founder , IWORK.

Julia Kermode, Contingent Workforce Expert, IWORK Julia is a contingent workforce expert on a mission to safeguard workers, empower them and ensure they are treated fairly. She has spent the last decade deeply ensconced within the world of contingent work, tax legislation, employment rights, worker rights, umbrellas and the wider recruitment sector. It's niche, and she loves this space! Julia is founder of IWORK (www.iwork.co.uk), which exists to prevent contingent workers being exploited through being unaware of tax regulations and other relevant legislation. IWORK helps to expose dubious practices that mistreat or profiteer from contingent workers, such as holiday pay retention (immoral but not illegal), payroll skimming, bribery and corruption. Julia actively champions contingent working, and lobbies the government for fair legislation on issues such as tax avoidance, disguised remuneration, loan charge, employment status, IR35/off-payroll and the gig economy. Prior to IWORK, Julia spent 7 years as CEO of FCSA, a compliance accreditation body for accountants and umbrella companies. Here she led unprecedented growth, successfully transforming the organisation from obscurity to being the ubiquitous go-to compliance requirement for the supply of temporary workers. Julia also spearheaded FCSA’s influence within the government, and raised standards within the often-misunderstood umbrella sector. Julia is very well-respected in the contracting industry, passionate and good at what she does. She is also a contractor herself, providing consultancy services to advise and support businesses in how they engage contingent workers.

Angela Ferguson

Director - Employment Tax , Saffery Champness LLP

Angela is a Director in our Manchester office, specialising in employment taxes. She has trained and worked within Big Four firms since 1994. She covers the whole of the UK in her role as the National Head of Employment Taxes here at Saffery’s. Angela advises clients across all sectors in respect of a variety of employment tax issues. Angela is a regular speaker at internal and external events, often talking at industry network meetings, tax body gatherings and government departmental events.

Colin Thompson

Business Development Director , Danbro Workforce Solutions

Mark Beal-Preston

Chief Commercial Officer , Optionis

Mark, former founder and MD of First Freelance, joined Optionis with the acquisition of First Freelance in March 2018 and is Chief Commercial Officer of the Optionis Group. Mark’s in-depth understanding of the contractor market draws from over 10 years as a widely respected Operations, Financial and Managing Director within the sector. Mark has overseen the tax, accounting, legal, operations and compliance for thousands of contractors over the years, as well as advising and working with many of the UK’s leading recruitment firms. He has an extensive knowledge of the tax and legislative landscape that affects contractors, agencies and end hirers. Mark grew up in South Africa, speaks isiXhosa and is a passionate supporter of the Springbok rugby team!

Louise Rayner ACCA, MBA

Founder & CEO , NumberMill

Louise Rayner is an ACCA chartered accountant who specialises in high volume worker and contractor engagement. Previously as CFO of Adecco and was responsible for paying 40,000 contractors. She has held board level positions at Randstad and other large employers, and was a part owner of an £80m t/o recruitment agency which she sold to Staffline in 2015. She established her practice and consultancy in 2013 which now looks after 800 agency clients. NumberMill also operate an FCSA Accredited umbrella and are experts in IR35. She and her team of 24 accountants, since the IR35 reforms which effected the Public Sector are now heavily involved in advising agencies and end hirers on navigating the legislation in a pragmatic way in both the Public and Private sectors.

Graham Fisher

CEO , Orange Genie