Are you really self-employed, or is your boss dodging tax on your pay?
For site workers paid gross, paid under CIS, or told 'you're self-employed, mate' without a real say in how, when, and where they work.
Sound familiar?
- “I'm on CIS but I turn up at 7:30 like an employee, use the firm's tools, and get told what to do all day.”
- “I've got no contract, no holiday pay, and no idea what I'd do if I got injured on site.”
- “HMRC sent me a letter asking about my status.”
- “The yard supervisor books my hours, my breaks, and my Saturday. Doesn't feel self-employed.”
What this tool does
Runs through the three core HMRC employment-status tests (control, substitution, and mutuality of obligation) and gives you a reasoned answer with the factors that pushed it one way. It is not a replacement for HMRC's CEST, but it is faster and explains the reasoning in plain English.
Question 1 of 15
1. Are you told what time to start and finish each day?
What the law actually says
- •HMRC and the courts decide status based on how the work actually happens, not what the contract says. A written 'self-employed' clause does not override the reality on site.
- •A false self-employment arrangement can leave the engager liable for PAYE, NICs, holiday pay and unfair dismissal protections going back years.
- •Status is assessed per engagement. You can be employed on one job and genuinely self-employed on another in the same month.