IR35 Status Checker
Answer these questions about your working arrangement for an indicative view of whether a contract looks inside or outside IR35.
1. Can you send a qualified substitute to do the work in your place?
A genuine, unfettered right of substitution is one of the strongest indicators of being outside IR35.
2. Do you control how, when and where you do the work (not the client)?
Being told what to do is normal; being told how, when and where to do it points toward employment.
3. Is the client free to offer no further work, and you free to decline it?
No ongoing obligation to offer or accept work (no 'mutuality of obligation') points outside IR35.
4. Do you carry real financial risk (fixing errors at your own cost, own insurance)?
Correcting defective work unpaid, and holding professional indemnity insurance, indicate being in business on your own account.
5. Do you mainly provide your own equipment for the work?
Using your own kit rather than the client's is a (weaker) pointer toward outside IR35.
6. Are you kept separate from the client's staff (not 'part and parcel' of their org)?
Line-managing their staff, appraisals, or staff perks suggest you're integrated like an employee.
7. Are you free to work for other clients at the same time?
Exclusivity to one client looks more like employment.
8. Do you market a business (website, other clients, own branding)?
Trading as a genuine business — multiple clients, marketing, a business identity — supports outside IR35.