The 24-point outside-IR35 evidence checklist
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Status cases are won on paperwork and working practice. Collect these before day one; keep them for the length of the engagement plus years (HMRC's look-back window runs long).
Contract (10)
- Contract between client and your company (not you personally)
- Substitution clause without an effective veto
- Deliverable-scoped statement of work
- Fixed term with defined end
- No "other duties as assigned" clause
- Payment on invoice / milestone, not payroll run
- No employee benefits (holiday, pension, sick pay)
- Notice period mirroring a commercial arrangement
- Client's SDS (if client-led) with reasons
- IP and confidentiality terms in the company name
Working practice (8)
- You control your method and hours beyond any core-collaboration window
- No line management of client staff
- Equipment/company tools where practical
- Deliverables accepted in writing at gates
- No unscheduled "can you also just…" scope creep (or you reprice it)
- Attendance pattern consistent with the project, not an employment pattern
- No client induction/HR onboarding (security clearance aside)
- Freedom to work from your office where the work allows
Company records (6)
- Professional indemnity + liability insurance in force
- Company bank account, invoices matching contract value
- Multiple-client history where it exists
- Business website/marketing showing a real business
- Accounts filed on time (Companies House + HMRC)
- Filed VAT returns where registered
Run the papers against the ad's own wording on the board — and get a contract review from a specialist before signing anything big.
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