Theresa May’s adviser on the future of work says the boom in the gig economy could have a significant impact on government finances, with self-employed workers and contractors paying more than £2,000 less a year on average in tax than employees doing equivalent jobs. The exchequer does not receive employer national insurance contributions on behalf of self-employed workers. Taylor’s warning, as the review was formally launched, comes amid growing scrutiny of the employment status of workers in the gig economy. Writing in the Guardian, Taylor says Britain’s employment system “has weaknesses and is not future-proof”, and adds that the gig economy is only set to grow. The government has also announced the first official study of its kind into the scale of the gig economy and the reasons people join it, and appointed three experts to Taylor’s panel.

Source: The Guardian November 30, 2016 09:30 UTC