HMRC launches updated CEST tool ahead of IR35 extension

HMRC has launched an updated Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) service ahead of the extension of IR35 to the private sector in just 20 weeks.
HMRC created the CEST service in March 2017 as the government cracked down on off-payroll working rules, known as IR35 in the public sector.
The update issued this week is the first official one recorded since 30 March 2017, and was announced earlier this year as a precursor to the extension of IR35 reforms to the private sector from April 2020.