Delivered
000,000
IR35 status
assessments
Essential
£125K
Tax investigation
insurance
Protection
4 yr
Automatic run-off
protection
Contractors, have total confidence in your IR35 compliance with IR35 Shield
The trusted partner for compliance-focused contractors. Our IR35 Shield for Contractors membership includes unlimited Status Determination Statements, £125k tax investigation cover and expert legal defence.
From £199.99/yr • Instant online setup
Trusted by thousands of proactive businesses every day
What's included with your membership?
Industry-leading IR35 certainty backed by the proven IR35 experts.
Our flagship membership plan includes our specialist Tax Investigation Service* (including HMRC Compliance Checks and defence in a tax tribunal underwritten by £125k tax cover), unlimited assessments, status determination statements & 4-year run-off protection.
Unlimited usage
Assessments for every engagement. Unlimited status assessments and Status Determination Statements. IR35 Shield is aligned with case law.
£125k Defence Service
A full defence service from industry-leading, proven IR35 specialists at IR35 Shield in the event of an HMRC inquiry, underwritten by Markel Tax.
4-year run-off
Long-term defence. HMRC can initiate tax inquiries years after an engagement ends. Our run-off protects your past Outside IR35 engagements.
*Covers qualifying contracts under the Intermediaries Legislation (IR35) (Chapter 8 of ITEPA).
Why IR35 Shield outperforms other providers
See why thousands of businesses choose us for their compliance
| Feature | IR35 SHIELDShield for contractors membership | CESTHMRC CEST tool | MANUALOther IR35 service providers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Scope | Case-law aligned | Basic questions | Slow manual review |
| Definitive Result Rate | 100% definitive | ~25% Indeterminate | Risk of human bias |
| Tax Defence Coverage | £125K included | None | Additional cost |
| Run-off Protection | 4 years | None | Unknown |
| Compliance dashboard | Yes | None | Unknown |
| Cost | From £199.99/yr | Free (High risk) | Cost per review |
In case you're wondering… Here's some common things we get asked by our contractors.
Client SDS determinations can be blanket decisions or overly cautious. IR35 Shield for Contractors gives you unlimited status assessments and Status Determination Statements, so you can challenge unfair decisions without high cost. This allows you to provide robust evidence to maintain your outside IR35 status, or protect your business under the original intermediaries legislation (Chapter 8 ITEPA 2003) which applies to you when working for a small client.
It covers any contract active during your membership period, provided an "Outside IR35" status assessment was completed before or during active membership.
Instantly. Once you sign up, completing a status assessment takes roughly 10 minutes and generates an immediate downloadable PDF report.
Yes. IR35 Shield for Contractors is a professional compliance tool and tax defence service for your Personal Service Company (PSC). The membership fee is 100% tax-deductible as an allowable business expense.
IR35 Shield for Contractors provides a 25+ page Status Determination Statement modelled on actual case law. You can use this report during the statutory Client Disagreement Process to formally challenge blanket or flawed CEST determinations with clear evidence which is aligned with UK IR35 case law.
Yes. Under Chapter 8 rules (small end-client exemption), your PSC holds the legal liability for status decisions and tax exposure. IR35 Shield for Contractors gives you unlimited status assessments which are aligned with UK IR35 case law, unlimited comprehensive Status Determination Statements as evidence to prove your status and £125,000 in tax investigation insurance if HMRC ever opens a compliance check.
Any contract active and assessed as Outside IR35 during your paid membership maintains its 4-year run-off protection automatically after your assignment ends. You remain covered for past contracts even if you pause your membership.
There is a fair usage policy, to protect IR35 Shield against spammers. You can run as many status assessments as you need for active roles, contract extensions, or potential client offers. You won’t hit any caps if you are using the tool responsibly.
Leading UK IR35 legal and tax specialists from IR35 Shield will represent you, with proven recent experience defending cases all the way to tribunal. Our Markel-backed policy covers representation fees, legal costs, and tax tribunal defence expenses up to £125,000 per investigation.
Contract with Total Security
Join the thousands of professionals who chose IR35 Shield to protect their income, prove their compliance, and eliminate HMRC stress.
From £199.99/yr • Instant online setup