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What is a week 53 payment?

Your tax-free personal allowance is split up across 52 tax weeks and tax weeks are periods of 7 days which follow on from each other starting on 6 April each year. So, the first tax week is 6 April to 12 April inclusive, the second tax week is 13 April to 19 April inclusive, and …
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Common errors to avoid when contracting

It’s always good to gain insight on the doo’s and don’ts from contractors who have been working in the sector for a while. We recently had the opportunity to speak with a few, gaining some valuable insights which we’ve summarised for you below. Naive negotiating You’ve probably already honed in on what skills you have …
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5 tips for working from home

Working from home is part and parcel for many, with the office of national statistics reporting that almost half of the UK opt to work hybrid or fully remote. But how can you turn a limited space full of distractions in to an area for production. See our tips below.  Designate an area A good …
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Autumn Statement 2023

Yesterday, Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, presented the anticipated outlook for the UK economy, emphasizing the government’s focus on five key areas: reducing national debt, cutting taxes to reward hard work, supporting British businesses, developing sustainable energy sources domestically, and delivering top-notch education. While the Chancellor spared us the exhaustive details of the …
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4 tips for contractors starting out

If you’re thinking about taking the leap into the world of contracting, or have just begun your journey it can be daunting. So, to help you along the way here are some helpful tips to remember when starting out as a contractor. All feedback is useful Positive feedback is always nice to hear, whereas sometimes …
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The power of LinkedIn for contractors

In recent years we have seen a meteoric rise in social media, including companies turning to social media to attract customers. If utilised effectively, these can be a fantastic tool for contractors too. However, LinkedIn stands above the rest in terms of effectiveness for contractors. In this article we cover some key elements to get …
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EU Settlement Scheme

This is an important Brexit-related alert for European, EEA and Swiss nationals and those who hold immigration status as the non-European family members of such nationals. Freedom of movement rights for EU, European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals (and their non-European family members) ended on 31 December 2020 (the end of the Brexit transition …
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How do you spot a good umbrella company from a bad one?

The introduction of the off-payroll working legislation from April 2020 means that limited company contractors in the private sector may find themselves in unfamiliar territory as their choice to work in this way may be taken away from them. Some end clients are making blanket decisions that all of their contract positions are inside IR35 …
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Focused is turning 15!

Here at Focused we are now into our 15th year of trading! 2003….. Concorde made its last flight, Love Actually was on at the cinema, the Black Eyed Peas had the number one song of the year with ‘Where is the love’ and the iPhone, YouTube and Facebook were still yet to take over the …
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Focused on the Autumn Budget 17

Chancellor Philip Hammond made a positive statement about the state of the UK economy in his Autumn Budget, although most in the press focused on the reduction in the growth forecast.  He did however point to high employment levels, decreasing debt and opportunities for UK business, and the various measures to be introduced to assist …
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Autumn Statement 2015

As you may already be aware yesterday the Chancellor confirmed his intention to restrict the ability of contractors to get tax relief on travel and subsistence expenses. As of yet the Chancellor has not revealed the details of the changes meaning we cannot yet fully know what the impact will be and who it will …
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Another Step Forward For Focused!

Focused are delighted to announce that we have been formally welcomed to APSCo by Ann Swain CEO. Tracie Bates and Steve Jones met with Ann last week and as ex recruiters were impressed by Ann’s dynamic, knowledgeable and hands on approach. They strongly believe the relationship with APSCo will have many gains for Focused and we look forward …
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