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Joint Employment: The VAT Trap Lurking Behind a Too-Good-To-Be-True Service Charge Saving

As service charge pressures mount, some staffing providers are pushing joint employment schemes as a clever way to avoid VAT on on-site staff costs. But beneath the surface lies a dangerous trap. These arrangements promise savings while exposing clients — and employees — to legal ambiguity, HMRC scrutiny, and financial risk. This article unpacks the myths, the risks, and the real-world consequences of using joint employment as a VAT workaround — and why the safest option is often the simplest.

VAT and On-Site Staff

VAT and On-Site Staff

In the lead-up to the HMRC’s guidance on the correct application of VAT on residential service charges, and after its release in September 2018, there has been much debate amongst managing agents, landlords/freeholders and providers of on-site staff.