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Get an inside / outside / borderline IR35 verdict in 90 seconds.
A 12-question wizard built around the same case-law factors HMRC and tribunals actually use: substitution rights, mutuality of obligation, control over how/when/where, equipment, financial risk, "part and parcel of the organisation", in-business-on-own-account indicators, contract length, employee benefits, and the SDS the client has issued. Each answer is scored and the result bucketed.
The wizard is more comprehensive than HMRC's own CEST tool, which gives an indeterminate result on a meaningful share of cases and is criticised for omitting some case-law factors. For genuine engagements with material money at stake, use the wizard to frame the question — then get a contract review from a specialist (Qdos, Markel, IR35 Shield) before relying on the answer.
Question 1 of 12 8%
Substitution
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About this calculator
Last reviewed: April 2026. Reviewed by the UK Tax Drag editorial team against current HMRC guidance and the 2026/27 UK tax year.
Verified against: gov.uk — Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) (checked on the last review date above).
Source: calculator JavaScript is unminified at /assets/ — see Open methodology for how to verify the math. Updates tracked in the changelog .
Disclaimer: This tool gives a guideline estimate using current published UK rates and thresholds. It is general information, not personal financial, tax, or legal advice. Verify the figures against your own circumstances, the latest gov.uk guidance, and a qualified adviser before acting. UK Tax Drag accepts no liability for decisions made on the basis of these calculations.