Before we look at comparing umbrella companies, first contractors must determine whether an umbrella company is the right option for them.
There are many benefits to operating through an umbrella company:
After looking at the benefits of working with an umbrella company, if you’ve decided this is the way to go, it’s time to start comparing companies to find your perfect fit.
One thing to compare between umbrella companies is what fees they charge.
Every umbrella company charges fees in exchange for the services they provide the contractor, such as covering them with the necessary insurance, working out and deducting the correct levels of tax and National Insurance, taking on paperwork and admin tasks and offering them statutory benefits.
Umbrella company fees can be charged in one of two ways, either as a fixed fee or percentage fee.
Whereas a fixed fee is a set amount, a percentage fee is a cut of your invoices. This means that if the contractor starts to earn more, they will pay more in fees for the same level of service from the company. For this reason, most contractors prefer to pay fixed fees.
Contractors should also consider whether there are any additional fees to account for as some umbrella companies can also charge:
As the umbrella company employs the contractor, they must have employers’ liability insurance. This is a legal requirement for all employers in the UK and protects workers should they become ill or injured at work. Therefore, it’s important to check that the umbrella company will provide you with this when comparing which company to choose.
What’s more, contractors may expect an umbrella company to cover them with professional indemnity and public liability insurance. Although these aren’t legal requirements, they are usually in the client contracts meaning you will have to cover the costs yourself if they are not provided by the umbrella company.
Another thing to look at when comparing umbrella companies is what payment terms they offer.
It’s important to ensure that the umbrella company you choose will make the payment process as quick, easy and stress-free as possible.
You will need to look at how often the umbrella company makes payment runs. A good umbrella company will usually make payment runs several times a week, meaning they should be able to pay you quickly after you have submitted your timesheet.
It’s also important to check that you will get paid on time. Avoid any company that makes it difficult to get paid, such as those that require paper timesheets, or those that require timesheets to go through an approval process before they are paid.
Finally, every contractor should look at for any catches or bottlenecks that can cause payment delays. For example, no umbrella company should say that they will only pay the contractor once they have been paid as this is not appropriate in the context of the employer-employee relationship.
Contractors should also look at how often they will get paid, whether that’s same day, weekly, fortnightly, monthly or another frequency, to find the best option for them.
Contractors should always look at what the umbrella company’s expenses policy is.
Umbrella contractors can usually claim expenses back on mileage, accommodation and things like training costs if they are incurred whilst doing the job.
Contractors should ensure that the umbrella company they choose complies with HMRC rules around umbrella expenses and steer clear of companies that claim to help the contractor save on tax by claiming a wide range of expenses as this is not the case.
Contractors should look at what the umbrella company’s pension arrangements are.
As an employer, the umbrella company must enrol the contractor into a pension scheme if they meet the following criteria:
Finally, the contractor should ensure that the umbrella company they choose has a solid reputation and is compliant with industry standards.
Although there is no official body that regulates umbrella companies, contractors can look out for any accreditations they may have, such as if they are members of the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association.
Now you know how to compare umbrella companies, Umbrella Supermarket’s umbrella calculator can help you find your perfect fit in a matter of minutes. Why not give it a go today?
Any contractor considering switching to an umbrella company will want to know how to find the best provider to work with.
Although you could spend your precious time and energy searching the web for the best umbrella company, there is an easier way – using an umbrella calculator.
In this guide, Umbrella Supermarket explains why every contractor should use an umbrella calculator in 2021.
If you are considering contracting you will need to decide on PAYE or umbrella.
It can be a difficult decision to make and contractors will inevitably be questioning which option will be the best for them.
To help every contractor get on the right track for them, in this guide Umbrella Supermarket looks at PAYE vs umbrella, outlining the key differences and how this will impact you.
There are many reasons that contractors across the UK opt to work under an umbrella company.
Umbrella companies offer an easy way to contract and remove the need for the contractors to worry about the burdens of admin, finances, tax and IR35, all things that limited company contractors have to deal with.
For this reason, many contractors will be weighing up their options and questioning whether it is worth using an umbrella company in 2021. To help make the decision that little bit easier, Umbrella Supermarket has put together this guide on the pros and cons of using an umbrella company.
Any contractor that is considering operating through an umbrella company in 2021 will need to understand Umbrella Company fees - from why an umbrella company charges fees, how they are paid to how much the contractor will pay.
In this guide, Umbrella Supermarket answers those all-important questions to help every contractor know exactly where they stand when it comes to umbrella company fees.
If you’ve made the decision to contract through an umbrella company in 2021, you will next need to find an umbrella company that’s right for you.
After all, there are lots of umbrella companies out there, so how do you know which one to choose?
To help you find the best umbrella company for you, in this guide Umbrella Supermarket outlines what makes a good umbrella company, so you can rest assured you’re making the right move.
One of the many advantages to operating through an umbrella company for contractors is that they become an employee of their chosen provider.
In turn, this means that the contractor will be automatically enrolled onto the umbrella company’s workplace pension scheme.
To help contractors find out more about umbrella company pensions Umbrella Supermarket has put together this handy guide.
If you are considering contracting through an umbrella company you will naturally have questions and queries over how they work.
After all, making the move to umbrella can be a big step for contractors. To help, in this guide Umbrella Supermarket explains how to get started with an umbrella company and share our top tips for using one in 2021.
PAYE or umbrella is a question asked by every contractor. Which one you opt for will have a big impact on your contracting career and lifestyle. So, it's important to make the right decision for you.
To help makes things a little bit easier, Umbrella Supermarket has put together this guide on PAYE or umbrella, outlining the key differences between each, to help you make the best and most informed decision for you.
One of the many benefits to working through an umbrella company is that you will receive holiday pay as well as a range of other statutory benefits including sick pay, maternity and paternity pay.
To find out more about umbrella company holiday pay, and how to calculate how much you will be entitled to, Umbrella Supermarket has put together this handy guide.
Contractors must make several decisions throughout their contracting careers. One big decision contractors have to make is how they will operate.
One way that contractors can work is through an umbrella company.
Umbrella companies have become an increasingly popular way to contract in the past few years, offering many benefits to the contractor. But, how do you know whether this option is right for you?
To help every contractor make the right decision for them, in this guide, Umbrella Supermarket explains when not to use an umbrella company.
There are tons of benefits to using an umbrella company, which is why they have become such a popular option for contractors in recent years.
After all, an umbrella company takes away the stress and hassle of operating through a limited company whilst offering contractors a range of advantages, such as statutory rights, paying them a salary, deducting correct tax levels and National Insurance, and taking care of tasks like expense processing and invoicing.
However, as more and more contractors opt to use the services of an umbrella company, more providers have started to claim that they are HMRC approved.
To bust the myths around HMRC approved umbrella companies and get straight to the facts, in today's guide Umbrella Supermarket look at whether HMRC approved umbrella companies really exist, so you know exactly where you stand.
If you're considering making the leap to contracting, you will understandably want to know how much you will have to pay in umbrella company costs. After all, this amount comes directly out of the contractor’s pocket, so it’s important to be clued up on how much you should expect to pay.
To help contractors, in this guide Umbrella Supermarket answer the all-important question of how umbrella companies cost in 2021.
