Three different ways a contractor can be engaged, three different compliance responsibilities. Getting the model and the paperwork right protects the client, the contractor, and Camino, and keeps HMRC firmly out of the conversation.
The client and contractor deal with each other directly, we sit on the outside of the relationship.
Client and contractor have a direct relationship
Client onboards and payrolls the contractor
Camino invoices the client
Compliance
Camino generates a commercial margin-only agreement with the client
Contractor compliance is the client's responsibility here, not ours
Limited Company (PSC/Ltd)
Camino sits in the middle as the third party, the client and contractor never have a direct relationship.
Camino engages the contractor through their own PSC or Ltd Company
Contractor registers time worked on our/Integra's timesheet system
Client approves time worked, and expenses if applicable
Contractor creates a self-billing invoice: Camino pays the contractor, and the client pays Camino our charge, which is the contractor's pay plus margin
Umbrella Company
The umbrella company is the contractor's employer, handling payroll the same way a normal employer would.
Contractor is employed by the umbrella company, a third party
The umbrella company manages their payroll, taxes, and National Insurance
Contractor registers time worked on Camino/Integra's timesheet system
Client approves time worked and expenses if applicable
Camino pays the umbrella company, the umbrella company pays the contractor, and the client pays Camino the contractor charge plus margin
Compliance
Contracts sit between Camino and the client, and separately between Camino and the umbrella company
Umbrella company compliance pack: FCSA accreditation, insurance, bank details, company registration, VAT
Why IR35 Compliance Matters Now
Agencies often act as the legal "fee-payer" in the supply chain, which means we carry the financial and legal risk for unpaid tax and National Insurance if a contractor is misclassified, or if errors happen higher up the chain. If HMRC opens a compliance check and this hasn't been done properly, the implications are serious.
<10%of worker fee at risk under the new rules, vs. an extra 30% employment cost of hiring on-payroll
April '24new legislation changed the maths on IR35 tax liability risk
What an IR35 assessment determines
Whether the work is suitable for a contractor, or whether the person must be an employee doing business-as-usual work. It sets a worker's employment status for tax, which determines what tax the worker and the deemed employer each need to pay.
Compliance requirements to collect
IR35 Assessment
Identification and/or right to work, where applicable, so establish early where the work will physically be carried out
PSC / Ltd Company certification
Professional Indemnity Insurance
Business bank details on a letterhead
VAT, if applicable
Opt out agreement
Granular process: Limited Company
1
Confirm contractor type and IR35
This shapes every document that follows, so get it settled first.
2
Confirm placement details
With both the contractor and the client.
3
Put the placement through
With all relevant information gathered upfront, this step is far more seamless. It sends an email straight to the Contracts inbox.
4
Onboarding email goes to the contractor
Requesting their documents, plus the optional Opt Out form.
5
Contracts are written
We send the client's contract first, since clients are more likely to raise questions on things like notice period and hours.
6
Once signed, accounts gets the details
Contractor information, client information, approver information, and placement information.
7
Payment schedule goes to the contractor
An email with the year's payment schedule closes out onboarding.
What "Opt Out" actually means
Opting out means choosing not to have the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 apply to the assignment
Stay opted in, and the contractor keeps the statutory protections those regulations provide
Opt out, and the contractor gives up some of those protections, in exchange for more flexibility in how the assignment is structured and managed
If they do opt out, we have to inform the client in the client contract
Timing and patience
We cannot and will not process contracts until we have everything, so give us as much time as possible so there's no pressure
Encourage your contractors to respond promptly
The only exception is business bank details and insurance, we allow up to 30 days for those
Knowing contractor type and working location matters early, since required compliance documents differ depending on both
Granular process: Umbrella Company
1
Confirm contractor type and IR35
Same first step as Limited Company.
2
Confirm placement details
With both the contractor and the client.
3
Put the placement through
With all relevant information, this sends an email to the Contracts inbox.
4
Onboarding email goes to the contractor
Explaining what the umbrella process looks like for them, plus a mini PSL. We can't tell them who to go with, only advise.
5
Collect passport and address
That's all we ask for at this stage, to have on record.
6
Contracts are written
Client contract goes out before the umbrella one, for the same reason as Limited Company: clients are more likely to raise questions on notice period and hours.
7
Once signed, accounts gets the details
Umbrella company information, client information, approver information, and placement information.
Coming Soon · Refined Onboarding Workflow
A built-in documentation system that lets you send spec terms to clients directly, and cuts down the admin of re-entering the same information twice.
Sent through Salesforce, for the client to fill out any outstanding job information before you reach placement status: registered company name, number and address, candidate name, start and end date, charge rate, currency, working location, timesheet approver, and hiring manager.
This saves you admin across two stages of the process, since it also auto-populates the mirrored fields at placement. The fields remain editable.
Placement stage
The Offer Status page gets a "Submit Placement" button. At placement, new mandatory fields appear: dates, rates, margin %, member manager, timesheet approver, and working location. Selecting "Part Time" makes contract duration days editable.
Contracts & the Contractor Portal
The placement link generates the ability to send onboarding and compliance requests through Salesforce
Contractors log in to a Contractor Portal to upload documents themselves
Where a contractor is inside IR35, they submit their chosen umbrella there, which triggers us to contact the umbrella with the matching onboarding email
Auto-reminders fire daily based on how close the assignment start date is, to help avoid delays receiving documents
A contract only generates once all compliance is received, minus insurance and business bank details
Working location and worker type still matter more than ever here, since they determine the triggers and automated results the system produces.
What this means for you
You're protected too: proper IR35 and status determinations shield you, not just Camino, from tax liability if something's later challenged
Less admin, fewer errors: the refined workflow auto-populates fields you'd otherwise re-enter by hand
Contractors get clarity: a mini PSL and clear onboarding emails mean fewer confused, delayed starts
Remember this
Confirm contractor type and IR35 status before anything else, it shapes every document that follows
Give contractors as much notice as possible, and encourage prompt responses on compliance docs
Only business bank details and insurance get the 30-day grace period, everything else is needed upfront
We advise on umbrella companies, we never tell a contractor which one to choose