Partner going from employed to self employed

[DueNov]

Well I'm due in November and my partners boss has decided to make him redundant after taking on an apprentice. (keeping his costs down!) partner has now been offered a job within a company but he would be self employed he's a plumber and gas engineer.

Neither of us know anything about being self employed and it seems really daunting.

Is it hard work? His boss said he will sort out the tax etc his end of things prior to paying my other half. Is this right when being self employed under a company?

Can he claim tax back in things such as his van insurance, petrol, phone bill and buying uniform? If so is this done at the end of the financial year?

Sorry to sound so clueless but we really are. It was a shock for him to be made redundant especially so close to me going on maternity and were 21 and 22. We own our own house and I'm panicking about bills and the mortgage and what he will end up with at the end of the month with me being in statutory maternity pay.

TIA X

It's a very controversial area at the moment and the employer/ employee doesn't get to choose if he's self employed - that comes down to a specific criteria set my HMRC that you can find on their website. If he works for 1 person who gives him regular work then he is probably employed with all the protection that gives ( after 2 years mostly). Also, if he actually IS self employed he should be organising his own tax, unless he comes under IR35 but I doubt a Plumber would.
It sounds a bit dodgy to be honest but I imagine it's easy to just accept a lifeline if you are desperate.
IF after all that he is actually self emplyed he needs to register with HMRC as such and yes he can offset his expenses against tax. If he uses an online system like Quickbooks how should find it all quite easy
An accountant could help but obviously it will cost

Thank you. Yes he has to say he's self employed with hmrc etc. Apparenlty a lot of companies work under self employed. The company just provides them with the work to do at a set price a day.all sounds very confusing. Think it may be easier to just go with a larger company such as British gas!

Still sounds employed to me, it's a great way for companies to employ staff while giving them no rights or employment benefits
It IS being cracked down on now, there was a big case involving Uber lately and also ( I think )Pimlico Plumbers

If his potential boss says he will sort out tax etc before paying him, then he isn't self-employed. He can't be.
To qualify for being self-employed he would have to invoice the company (his client) for work done, and pay tax and NI on his earnings himself. Not only that, but he would have to be working for more than one client and set his own hours etc. There is also the uniform issue. If he needs to wear one with the company's logo on it, then he cannot be self-employed. It's in the rules.
You need to research the criteria for being self-employed on the HMRC website.