15th August 2013, 09:57 PM
The problem lies with that grey area where companies take on self employed diggers (having to pay your own national insurance and sort your own tax) but all the other work conditions are those of an employee. The Tax office are very clear about what constitutes self employment. I suspect there are many companies getting round what they should be paying the tax office by calling their staff self employed. My understanding is if you are self employed you must make sure you have your own insurance. As a freelancer or sole trader you are individually responsible for a lot of things an employee does not have to think about.