Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

134 Workers supplied by agencies

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, where—

(a) an individual (“the worker”) renders or is under an obligation to render personal services to another person (“the client”) and is subject to, or to the right of, supervision, direction or control as to the manner in which he renders those services; and

(b) the worker is supplied to the client by or through a third person (“the agency”) and renders or is under an obligation to render those services under the terms of a contract between the worker and the agency (“the relevant contract”); and

(c) remuneration receivable under or in consequence of that contract would not, apart from this section, be chargeable to income tax under Schedule E,

then, for all the purposes of the Income Tax Acts, the services which the worker renders or is under an obligation to render to the client under that contract shall be treated as if they were the duties of an office or employment held by the worker, and all remuneration receivable under or in consequence of that contract shall be treated as emoluments of that office or employment and shall be assessable to income tax under Schedule E accordingly.

(2) Subsection (1)(b) above includes cases in which the third person is an unincorporated body of which the worker is a member.

(3) Subsection (1) above shall apply whether or not the worker renders or is under an obligation to render the services in question as a partner in a firm or a member of an unincorporated body; and where, in any case in which that subsection applies, the worker is a partner in a firm or a member of such a body, remuneration receivable under or in consequence of the relevant contract shall be treated for all the purposes of the Income Tax Acts as income of the worker and not as income of the firm or body.

(4) For the purposes of this section, any remuneration which the client pays or provides by reason of the worker being a person who renders or is under an obligation to render the services in question shall be treated as receivable in consequence of the relevant contract.

(5) Subsection (1) above shall not apply—

(a) if the services in question are services as an actor, singer, musician or other entertainer or as a fashion, photographic or artist’s model; or

(b) if the services in question are rendered wholly in the worker’s own home or at other premises which are neither under the control or management of the client nor premises at which the worker is required, by reason of the nature of the services, to render them; or

(c) if in rendering the services the worker is or would be a sub-contractor within the meaning of section 560.

(6) Where an individual enters into arrangements with another person with a view to the rendering of personal services by the individual, being arrangements such that, if and when he renders any such services as a result of the arrangements, those services will be treated under subsection (1) above as if they were the duties of an office or employment held by him, then for all purposes of the Income Tax Acts any remuneration receivable under or in consequence of the arrangements shall be treated as emoluments of an office or employment held by the individual and shall be assessable to income tax under Schedule E accordingly.

(7) In this section “remuneration”, in relation to an individual, does not include anything in respect of which he would not have been chargeable to tax under Schedule E if it had been receivable in connection with an office or employment held by him but, subject to that, includes every form of payment and all perquisites, benefits and profits whatsoever.