Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the likely costs in administering changes to IR35 on public sector contracts; whether these costs will fall on public sector organisations; and what estimate his Department has made of the net gain to the Exchequer resulting from those changes.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has formally consulted with stakeholders, including a large number of public sector organisations on the impacts of the changes. The Government is analysing these responses and will respond in due course.

Changes to off-payroll working in the public sector will make the engager responsible for deducting and paying associated tax and National Insurance where the intermediary rules apply. These changes will increase compliance with existing rules, rather than introducing a new tax liability. It is right that public sector bodies ensure that their workers are paying the correct amount of tax. At Budget this year, the Government published an estimate of the Exchequer yield as a result of these changes. This totalled around £550 million over the scorecard period, to 2021.