SmartWork

SmartWork FCSA Accredited PAYE Umbrella Service Provider for Freelancers SmartWork’s service has been shaped with a flexible workforce in mind.

SmartWork was formally launched in 2001 with the vision of creating a company that puts its employees needs first by taking away the burden of administration, remaining knowledgeable and compliant with current legal requirements. We also wanted to take our employment care service one step further by providing each of our employees with a personal Business Manager to provide unrivalled support and

guidance throughout their contracting journey. From 2001 to today, SmartWork has gone from strength to strength and are quickly becoming one of the top Umbrella Companies in the country. With our healthily expanding employee base and our long-standing relationships with Agencies throughout the UK, we have become highly respected and trusted within the contracting industry. We want our employees to enjoy all the genuine benefits of flexible working while leaving all administrative headaches and responsibilities in our reliable hands. We strive to guarantee that employee security, benefits, and customer care are complementary, not contradictory so each of our contractors can concentrate on their working role safe in the hands of SmartWork.

Our contractors tell us what they value most, and it is not complicated.Fast payments. A payslip they can actually under...
04/09/2026

Our contractors tell us what they value most, and it is not complicated.

Fast payments.
A payslip they can actually understand.
And a real person to call when they have a question.

If you are looking for an umbrella company that treats you like a person, not a number, get in touch with us today.

📞0800 434 6446
📧 [email protected]

September marks the halfway point of the 2026/27 tax year, and most contractors haven't reviewed their financial positio...
03/09/2026

September marks the halfway point of the 2026/27 tax year, and most contractors haven't reviewed their financial position since April.

Our latest article on the SmartWork blog covers everything worth checking right now: your tax code, pension contributions, mileage claims, holiday pay, and financial planning for the rest of the year.

It takes about ten minutes to read. It could save you more than that.

Link in the comments 👇

Know a contractor who would benefit from a compliant, people-focused umbrella service?September is one of the busiest mo...
02/09/2026

Know a contractor who would benefit from a compliant, people-focused umbrella service?

September is one of the busiest months for new contractor assignments and a great time to recommend SmartWork to a colleague.

Refer a contractor and choose your reward:

✅ £100 in Voucher Express vouchers
✅ One month without SmartWork margin (we waive our fee)

No limits on referrals. Get in touch to find out more, or visit the link in the comments to submit your referral. 👇

September is the halfway point of the 2026/27 tax year.If you work through an umbrella company, now is a good time to ch...
01/09/2026

September is the halfway point of the 2026/27 tax year.

If you work through an umbrella company, now is a good time to check in on your financial position before the year runs away from you.

This Thursday on the SmartWork blog, we are publishing a practical mid-tax-year check-up guide for contractors.

We'll of course let you know here once the guide is published.

August has been a busy month for contractors and agencies. Here is a brief summary of the key developments heading into ...
28/08/2026

August has been a busy month for contractors and agencies.

Here is a brief summary of the key developments heading into September.

1. Umbrella company cloning on the rise.

Clarity Umbrella was cloned for the second time in July 2026. The FCSA is tracking a growing number of copycat providers. If you have not verified your umbrella company's credentials recently, now is a good time.

Check FCSA membership directly on the FCSA website, verify Companies House registration, and look for SafeRec certification and Diligence Hub registration.

2. IR35 small company threshold changes.

From 6 April 2026, approximately 14,000 companies were reclassified as small, shifting IR35 responsibility back to the contractor for those engagements.

If you have not checked whether your end client's classification has changed, speak to your SmartWork business manager.

3. Guaranteed hours consultation closed.

The government's consultation on zero-hours and guaranteed hours reforms closed on 25 August. We will publish updates as the legislative picture becomes clearer.

4. ERA 2025 — October 2026 changes approaching.

Employment Tribunal time limits extend from 3 to 6 months from October 2026. Employer liability for third-party harassment also increases. More detail in our recent article.

For detailed info on any of the above, head to our blog. Link in the comments. 👇

Follow us for monthly updates, and if you have questions about any of these developments, your business manager is here to help.

UK IT contractor demand just hit a 35-month high. Here's what Q2 2026 actually tells us.The latest KPMG/REC data confirm...
27/08/2026

UK IT contractor demand just hit a 35-month high. Here's what Q2 2026 actually tells us.

The latest KPMG/REC data confirms what many of us have been sensing: contract hiring is leading the UK's recruitment recovery, while permanent placements are still catching up after a record 45-month downturn.

The numbers that matter:

- Median IT day rates at £576, with specialist AI/ML and cloud roles hitting £700–£1,200/day
- Temporary billings growing at the fastest pace since early 2023
- IR35 landscape more nuanced than ever — 56% of Microsoft-stack contractors working outside IR35, but inside roles remain substantial
- Hybrid-first is the default: 2–3 days onsite on most contracts

For contractors:

This market rewards specialism and preparation. Know your IR35 position. Price for your value. Be flexible on hybrid.

For agencies:

Contract desks are outperforming perm. Invest in IR35/SoW capability and build networks of domain-specialist contractors.

The opportunities right now are some of the best in years for those positioned to take them.

Full analysis on the SmartWork blog. Link in the comments. 👇

Every agency partner at SmartWork gets a dedicated client manager.Not a shared inbox. Not a rotating support team. A rea...
26/08/2026

Every agency partner at SmartWork gets a dedicated client manager.

Not a shared inbox.
Not a rotating support team.

A real person who knows your business, your contractors, and your compliance requirements and whom you can contact directly when something needs attention.

In a sector where Joint and Several Liability has raised the stakes for agencies, having a responsive, knowledgeable partner matters more than ever.

When a contractor query comes in, when a compliance question needs answering, when you need to understand how a new piece of legislation affects your supply chain, your SmartWork client manager is the first call.

Alongside your dedicated manager, SmartWork's JSL Agency Portal gives you two layers of compliance assurance: monthly SafeRec Reports (independent audits) and direct access to PAYE/NI data, HMRC payment proof, payslips, and FPS confirmations.

Real-time visibility into the compliance and tax treatment of your SmartWork contractors.

If you would like to discuss your agency's compliance position or request your portal credentials, get in touch with your SmartWork client manager today.

📧 [email protected] | 📞 0800 434 6446

The Approved Mileage Rate rose to 55p per mile from 6 April 2026, the first increase in over 15 years.If you use your ow...
24/08/2026

The Approved Mileage Rate rose to 55p per mile from 6 April 2026, the first increase in over 15 years.

If you use your own vehicle for business travel and work through an umbrella company, this matters.

The new rate is backdated to the start of the tax year, which means any eligible business mileage you have already claimed since April could qualify for the higher rate.

The key question is whether your agency or end client agreed to fund the increase.

If yes, your umbrella company can process the higher reimbursement through payroll.

If not, you may still be able to claim Mileage Allowance Relief directly from HMRC for the difference.

We have put together a straightforward guide covering what the change means for umbrella contractors, how to check whether your agency is funding the new rate, and what to do if they are not.

Link in the comments.👇

This Friday's review of the week comes from Kristina, who thinks we are the best umbrella company. ☺️ Get in touch and e...
21/08/2026

This Friday's review of the week comes from Kristina, who thinks we are the best umbrella company. ☺️

Get in touch and experience what's it like being looked after by one of our amazing business managers.

[email protected] | 0800 434 6446

Every payslip we process goes through an audit in real time. Not a sample, not a spot check. Every single one. That's pa...
20/08/2026

Every payslip we process goes through an audit in real time.

Not a sample, not a spot check. Every single one.

That's part of what it means to be SafeRec Certified. Our agencies and clients can log in to the SafeRec platform for free, any time, and see those audit results for themselves, payslip by payslip.

The actual audit data sits right there in the platform, accessible whenever they want to check it.

We're proud to be SafeRec Certified because it means we can show our payroll compliance in real time, not just claim it.

Ask us how to log in and see the audits yourself.

[email protected] | 0800 434 6446

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