Unsure how much to request as a freelance administrator

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I have just applied for a job with a private mental health practice in London as a freelance administrator which is 15 hours a week and completely remote. On the advert it stated that hourly rate is based on experience plus incentives. If I do get through the interview I have no idea what hourly rate to negotiate. My last job was nearly identical to this role and was in South Wales and I got paid £14.46 an hour (this was a couple of years ago now).

I was maybe going to suggest £15 an hour, but I'm not sure if that's too high or low. This job is in between a virtual assistant, practice administrator and a single point of contact role, I've looked up hourly rates for all of the above but it varies so much. I've seen as low as £10 an hour and as high as £30 an hour. I am confident that I am an excellent candidate for this role I just have no idea how much I'm worth. Any suggestions?

£15 an hour is the going rate around here in person. Not sure if you get less for remote work.

Do be aware that it may not be legal for them to insist you are freelance, the roll from your description should be salaried with a pension. It's illegal for companies to pretend that you are self employed

Freelance - who's going to be paying your tax for you? You or the company?

Hmm was the similar role freelance too? £15 per hour isn't much more then minimum wage once you take into account tax, holiday, lack of benefits etc.

Is it inside or outside ir35? (So are you working via an umbrella company who pays your tax or do they just pay you and you sort everything?)

Ultimately what is the job worth to you? I would work out that amount. Look at similar roles to compare and then ask for 10% more then that. They may offer you slightly less then. But they are unlikely to offer you more then you ask for.

I did think it was strange that it was a freelance job, but maybe it's just to pick up the slack when they are extra busy as that was the case with my old job. With my old job which is very similar I started out full time on a salary, then went down to part time due to health issues then eventually went to a sessional worker role, so I just did a few hours a week as and when and got paid for the work (so I suppose you could call that freelance). I got paid more for doing the sessional work than I did when I was salaried.

If I've done my research correctly I wouldn't have to pay any income tax as I would be earning less than £12,570 a year which is classed as personal allowance. But I imagine I would have to complete a self assessment tax return to declare my earnings.

I will definitely have to clear these things up with them if I get through to interview.

Starting rate for a virtual assistant which you essentially are is £25

It’s not legal for them to say it is freelance purely to avoid treating you properly. If they are your only client then HMRC are almost certain to see you as employed - and that means PAYE, NI, holiday pay and so forth.

To calculate a day rate, it's usually what the annual pro rata salary would be plus 30% to cover taxes, the lack of sick or holiday pay etc. They get the flexibility, you get the much higher per day rate. It sounds like it should be a lot higher than £15 based on your previous sums?

Read more here www.vmagroup.com/interim-day-rate-calculator?source=google.com#

I would also be very careful about the "freelance" tag. If the company dictates your hours and when and where you do them, then it's hardly freelance. It sounds like it should be a part time salaried role.

I do a part time salaried role in London (not central London) in a small company of 12 employees, a mix of wfh and in the office. But the hours are set. I'm a step up from basic admin as I do some book-keeping and am senior enough to be pretty autonomous. I don't particularly report to anyone. My pay is just under £40,000 pa pro rata.

On the advert it stated that the hourly rate is based on experience and incentives

That language very much hints at this being employment not freelancing. It would be like me telling a self-employed plumber that I will set his rate based on his level of experience, i.e. it won't happen, the plumber will tell me what his rate is.

Anyway at least they are asking you, but I would look at the employment tests to ensure they are not just trying to avoid paying holidays, sick leave etc.