Taxman concedes that ARC contractor is self-employed
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• In a key decision for ownerdrivers working exclusively for one company, the tax status of a Kent-based ARC operator has been acknowledged by the taxman to be self-employed.
Inland Revenue has agreed that the owner-driver is selfemployed even though he works on an exclusive contract for the aggregates producer.
The driver's tax status is seen as a test case for thousands of other ARC hauliers (CM 24 Sept-4 Oct), and all owner-drivers working exclusively for one company. ARC was known to have feared a selfemployed assessment because it could have triggered tax bills of up to six years on affected drivers.
Drivers exclusively contracted to ARC own their vehicles, pay their running costs and ARC pays them by the load. They are technically barred from working for others.
CI ARC recently introduced a franchise agreement for ownerdrivers, designed to put selfemployed status beyond doubt. It has been signed by 58 out of 134 drivers in the company's southern region.