Questions, answered plainly.

An umbrella company employs contractors who work on assignments found through recruitment agencies. The agency pays the umbrella company for the work, and the umbrella company pays the contractor through PAYE as its employee.

Umbrella Standard is £20 a week and Umbrella Platinum £22.50 a week. CIS Standard is £22 a week and CIS Platinum £24.50 a week. Fees apply only in weeks you work, and your agency may have a preferential rate. PAYE, PEO and bureau services are quoted.

Your assignment rate is what the agency pays for your work. Our margin and employer costs, such as employer National Insurance, come out of it first. What remains is your gross taxable pay, and your tax and National Insurance are worked out on that.

Yes. As an employee you are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, pro rata. Holiday pay is funded from the assignment rate, and your contract explains how it is paid.

If you are 22 or over and earn more than £10,000 a year, we must enrol you into our workplace pension. You can choose to opt out.

A document your agency must give you before you agree terms. It explains how you will be paid, who will pay you and what will be deducted, including an example of your pay.

No. CIS is for genuinely self-employed subcontractors. If someone works under supervision, direction or control, they should be employed and paid through PAYE. We check status before paying anyone under CIS.

Not necessarily. CIS deductions are advance payments towards your tax and National Insurance. Your Self Assessment return works out the final amount, which may mean paying more or getting a refund.

Our benefits platform, included with Umbrella Platinum, CIS Platinum and as standard with our PEO service. It offers fuel savings, retailer discounts, gym and travel offers, 24/7 GP access and mental health and wellbeing support.

No accreditation removes an agency's legal liability. Professional Passport accreditation is independent evidence that our processes have been checked, which helps you manage the risk as part of your due diligence.

Very soon. As of 26 October 2026, our integration with veriPAYE, the FCSA's payslip verification service, is in its final stages and we expect it to go live within the next few weeks. Once it is live, agencies and end clients will be able to verify our payslips free of charge through FCSA's Diligence Hub.

JSL stands for joint and several liability (sometimes searched for as joint severance liability). Since 6 April 2026, if an umbrella company fails to pay the correct PAYE, HMRC can recover it from the recruitment agency that contracts with the end client, or from the end client if there is no agency.

Yes. We provide umbrella, CIS, PAYE, PEO and outsourced payroll services nationwide, across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including Scottish and Welsh income tax rates.

IR35, or the off-payroll working rules, applies when someone works through their own limited company but would be an employee if engaged directly. For most medium and large clients, the client decides whether it applies. Our IR35 guide explains it in full.

Send us your assignment rate, hours and tax code through our contact form, and we will send you an illustration that includes your pension.