Freelancers Called on For Brexit Plans

The Creative Industries Council (CIC) says that tax rules should be revised to encourage self-employed workers to benefit from training, in hopes of boosting the creative industry, as well as unifying communities in wake of the Brexit vote.

In efforts to increase the creative industry’s exports, despite Brexit plans, CIC has decided on eight key drivers of growth to focus on, which include; digital infrastructure, IP, skills, funding, regeneration and diversity. The aim of these drivers of growth is to ensure the creative industry’s exports reach £31bn by 2020.

One of the key drivers of growth concerns freelancers. The council believes self-employed workers should be offered training, which would mean the government revising current tax rules.

Now, the training of a freelancer by a company can be used by HMRC as evidence of ‘employment status’ in order to determine if the worker is ‘inside’ or ‘outside’ IR35.

However, if the government changed this tax rule, CIC believes independent workers would be kept in mind for creative industry apprenticeships. This would be invaluable for freelancers, as mobile creatives will need training “adaptable” to their needs.

Freelancers are an asset

CIC argues that freelancers are an asset to local communities, making neighbourhoods more “distinctive, attractive and stimulating places to work and live”.

It’s not without caution that the council approaches these plans. They have made it clear that they’re wary of the freelance work model, as they believe informal hiring practices can “contribute to [a] lack of transparency and diversity”.

To help with this “lack of transparency” the council has stated that remaining part of the single market would be instrumental in accessing the skills in Europe that the UK needs.

The CIC’s co-chair Nicola Mendelsohn said; “We now believe we can be instrumental in shaping the new growth agenda in the post-Brexit world and play an important part in economic development of all parts of the UK.”

“We are ready and willing to play our role in the UK’s future strategy and we want to work with government to ensure our world-beating creative organisations thrive in the post-Brexit world.”

What do you think of the CIC’s hopes to include freelancers in their Brexit plans? Leave your comments in the section below!

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