But it isn't, Chris! That's why it's so unfair! The changes to the IR35 rules mean that the end client, not the contractor, will decide whether the contractor is a "disguised" employee or not. If they decide that the contract falls inside IR35 then, as far as HMRC is concerned, the contractor is a de facto employee. It makes no difference to the end client who, by definition, now gets their cake and eat it where they get a person whom they can hire and fire whenever it suits them but don't have to afford them any of the benefits that a true employee would get, e.g. pension, bonus, travelcard loan, gym membership etc.