IR35 field notes

Clearer decisions for your next contract.

Practical guidance on status, working practices and contract value, written for UK contractors who need useful answers before they apply.

Current

Reviewed against current HMRC guidance

Practical

Built around real contract decisions

Evidence-led

Clear sources and honest uncertainty

Featured guide

The checks that matter before you accept.

IR35 essentials26 August 20267 min read

Inside vs Outside IR35: five checks before you accept a contract

A practical way to compare the tax status, working arrangement and commercial reality of a UK contract before you commit.

Read the guide

Contractor library

Read what helps you decide.

Every article links to its official sources and separates facts from practical interpretation.

IR35 essentials6 min read

Status Determination Statements: what UK contractors should look for

What an SDS is, when you should receive one and how to review the reasoning without turning the process into a legal maze.

Updated 26 August 2026Read

Working practices8 min read

IR35 and working practices: why the contract wording is not enough

How control, substitution and the wider working relationship show up in the real life of a contract engagement.

Updated 26 August 2026Read

Contract decisions7 min read

Umbrella or limited company: a practical contractor checklist

A decision framework for comparing engagement routes without reducing the choice to a single take-home number.

Updated 26 August 2026Read

Contract decisions6 min read

How to compare UK contract offers beyond the day rate

A scorecard for rate, IR35 status, duration, payment risk, working pattern and the value of the experience itself.

Updated 26 August 2026Read

IR35Careers provides educational information, not individual tax or legal advice. Contract status depends on the facts and working practices of each engagement.