If you are a freelancer, consultant or contractor working via a limited company, partnership, umbrella or as a sole-trader, PCG membership can protect you from issues that could damage your business, so that you can get on with what you do best - keeping your clients happy.
Why people join PCG
PCG is the not-for-profit industry association that looks after the interests of freelancers, consultants and contractors. The association is growing fast – currently over 18,000 members enjoy the benefits from just £120 a year. This equates to an investment of just a few hours earnings per year. In return, members who use the full range of resources find that membership pays for itself, many, many times over. Some of PCG’s activities can save you thousands and even tens of thousands! Keep reading to see why...
The benefits
Representation: ensuring the rules set by government don’t harm you PCG advises the powers that be so that ill-conceived government initiatives never see the light of day. Recently the Government tried to introduce a measure that would have seen hundreds of thousands of hard-working family businesses in the UK paying out thousands in additional tax. This could have crippled the UK economy. We campaigned vigorously and the proposals were dropped.
Tax defence: professional expenses insurance to rescue you during a tax investigation A key problem for freelancers in the UK is that the tax rules are like shifting sands and it is possible to make very costly mistakes even if you earn a low rate. If you are investigated by the taxman we will provide you with an expert to represent you, maximising your chances of success: for example non-PCG members are over twice as likely to pay up under IR35 compared to members. We’ll guarantee the first £75,000 of professional costs incurred in defending you during the investigation, including your accountant’s time. It is very rare for a case to cost more than that, but if it does, we’ll take a view: when HMRC wrongly decided that Geoff and Diana Jones of Arctic Systems Ltd should pay up an additional £42,000 in tax, we backed them all the way to victory in the House of Lords after a very expensive six year battle! PCG membership is much more than insurance – it means you can count on your own professional association to look out for you.
Advice & resources: streamline your business to save time and money PCG members have a reputation for being savvy freelancers thanks to the expert knowledge and tools that membership gives them, meaning they are far less likely to get into disastrous tax/legal situations or to behave unprofessionally. When you join, you unlock the full PCG resource, including free tax and legal help-lines, contract templates to mitigate IR35 and other business risks, online forums and a wide range of PCG vetted business solutions such as recruitment agencies, job portals, book-keeping, accountancy, mortgages for the self-employed, insurances, debt collection, financial advice and many more.
Promotion: growing the market for freelancing and creating opportunities Some organisations are reluctant to engage freelancers. We invest your membership subscriptions in educational programmes to create a cultural shift in the market, helping organisations understand the benefits of using freelancers and the correct way to manage the engagement. This helps to build the number of opportunities for freelancers. We also provide a number of resources to help freelancers find work, such as directories and a list of vetted agencies.
Community: lively networking in an organisation governed by its members Exchange knowledge, find work, collaborate, network, debate and socialise on the forums and at member get-togethers. PCG is a democratic organisation governed by its members, many of whom passionately believe in the power of flexible freelancing to stimulate the economy for the good of UK plc. Any PCG member has the right to stand for election to the Consultative Council and subsequently the Board of Directors in order to influence the direction of the organisation and the scope of its activities. As a member, you are PCG!
To join or find out more
The more we are, the stronger we are... go on, join up! Please click on which membership to browse benefits tailored to your specific needs. If you know which membership category you need, please click join now or call 0845 125 9899.