Umbrella
Umbrella contracting, done properly since 1997.
A compliant umbrella for UK agency contractors — run from our London office since 1997. We become your employer, run your payroll, and pay you in full and on time. No loan schemes, no offshore, no surprises.
What's included
Everything an umbrella should do — and nothing it shouldn't.
A single contract of employment, every statutory entitlement, and a single P60 at year-end. The whole point.
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Full PAYE employment
Income tax, employee and employer NI, and the Apprenticeship Levy calculated and paid correctly — every week.
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Holiday pay, properly
Accrued at the statutory 12.07% of taxable pay, shown on every payslip. Rolled-up or held back — your choice.
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Workplace pension
Auto-enrolment from day one with a qualifying scheme. Opt out if you prefer; opt back in any time.
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Statutory entitlements
SMP, SSP, SPP and the rest — you are a continuous employee with us, so the cover follows you between assignments.
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A single P60
One P60 at year-end covering every assignment you took through us. No more reconciling three slips from two agencies.
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Key Information Document
A KID before you sign anything, as required by the Conduct of Employment Agencies Regulations.
How it works
Four steps. Most contractors are paid on the next pay run.
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Get a take-home estimate
Tell us your assignment rate. We show what lands in your bank — net of tax, NI and our fee.
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Sign your contract and KID
One overarching contract of employment with us, covering every assignment through any agency.
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We contract with your agency
They pay us against your timesheet. We run payroll the same day where funds clear before our cut-off.
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You get paid by BACS
A detailed payslip and an SMS confirmation — usually the same working day.
FAQ
The questions we get asked.
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Will I be inside or outside IR35?
If you're working through an umbrella, you're our employee for tax purposes — IR35 doesn't apply, because the off-payroll rules only bite when you're paid through a personal service company. The trade-off is that all your pay goes through PAYE.
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How is my holiday pay calculated?
At the statutory 12.07% of taxable pay. We show it on every payslip so you can see what's accruing. You can choose to have it rolled up into each payment (now lawful for irregular-hours and part-year workers under the amended Working Time Regulations) or held back and paid when you take leave.
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What if I have a gap between contracts?
No fee while you're not working — we only charge in weeks or months where you've been paid through us. Your continuous employment with us is unaffected.
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Do you take a percentage of my pay?
No. A fixed fee, the same whether your rate is £15/hour or £150/hour. Our fee is also deductible from your taxable pay.
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What happens if you make a mistake?
If we get a payroll calculation wrong, we'll correct it and cover any tax, NI or penalties that arise as a direct result.
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Are you ready for the April 2026 rules?
Yes. From 6 April 2026, agencies and end-clients become jointly and severally liable for unpaid PAYE in the labour supply chain under Chapter 11 of ITEPA 2003. We supply a full due-diligence pack on request so your agency can satisfy its new obligations.
Pricing
A fixed fee. Never a percentage.
A flat weekly or monthly fee, deducted from your gross before tax. You earn more, we don't charge more. No joining, leaving or lock-in fees, and nothing during contract gaps.
Ask for the current rateQuote takes about five minutes by phone — bring your assignment rate.
Get started
Bring us your assignment rate. We'll bring the maths.
A take-home estimate by email the same day. Sign-up takes one phone call.