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10 essential online resources for contractors
As the landscape of temporary work continues to evolve, staying informed and equipped with the right tools is crucial to staying one step ahead in today’s job market.
No matter if you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, contracting for a living comes with unique challenges and questions: How do I find work? How do I get paid? Am I paying the right amount of tax? What are my rights?
The good news is there are a lot of great online resources available to contractors, from legal updates and industry insights to contractors forums and professional bodies.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation too, as we proved in our blog “What happened when we googled best umbrella companies – a cautionary tale”
To save you from vanishing down a google rabbit hole, we’ve scoured the web to handpick the most valuable online resources available – some of which we frequently use ourselves to keep our finger on the pulse. Let’s dive in – and don’t forget to bookmark this page so you can easily access all of these websites and platforms easily.
Government Resources
Believe it or not, HMRC’s website is not just high level consultations and tax documents. In fact it is brimming with information covering all tax topics in very relatable terms, everything from NI and Income Tax to Child Benefit and Tax Credits.
This is the best place to find government services and a hub of information about living and working in the UK. Specifically for contractors, the gov.uk guidance on Working through an umbrella company is solid and unbiased.
Contractor Hubs
A resourceful website catering to freelancers and independent contractors, providing expert advice, forums and news on the latest trends and regulations in the contracting world.
A comprehensive and respected guide to contracting, with an extensive range of calculators, informative articles and industry-specific content to help contractors navigate assignment work, legislation, tax and more.
The IWORK platform was founded in 2020 to support and champion the UK’s army of temps, contractors, gig economy workers and the self-employed.
Professional Bodies
The Freelancer & Contractor Services Association is the UK’s trade association for umbrella companies and contractor accountants, dedicated to promoting compliance and best practice to safeguard the interests of freelancers and contractors. Their accredited member directory is the go-to resource for choosing a compliant umbrella company.
The Association of Independent Professional and the Self-Employed (IPSE) is a prominent organisation advocating for freelancers and self-employed individuals. It offers support, resources and campaigns to promote the interests and rights of independent workers.
Finding Work
Find your next role on one of these online recruitment giants, with thousands of contractor and temp jobs listed in all sectors throughout the UK:
A cheeky plug…
The aim of this list was to provide a curated list of online resources which would be of the most use and value to our contractor readers, so to include ourselves in that would be pretty presumptuous!
All the same, don’t forget you can access a range of guides, documents and forms via our Knowledge Hub or you can sign up to our blog for the latest news, views and industry insights straight to your inbox.