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CM Tax Bombshell Editorial  •  CM Tax Bombshell Briefing  •  NFMS Tax Bombshell Briefing  •  links index -> 33 Million Tax Bill

Title and Name of MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

letter date

Dear mp name

Freelance Musicians Class 1 National Insurance Liability

Where possible, personalise this suggested text by adding information about the work you do, what effect this will have, and on the musicians you work with. Also if you are a freelance self-employed musicians, mention how you already pay Class 2 or 4 contributions and how Class 1 will effectively be a tax on you from which you can gain no benefit

HM Revenue and Customs is putting Britain's orchestras and musicians at risk by the imposition of Class 1 National Insurance contributions to freelance self employed musicians and the orchestras which engage them. The Revenue is demanding back payments to the tune of £33m; a sum which could result in some orchestras having to dis-band.

The 1998 change in National Insurance Regulations was at the request of the actors' union Equity to enable actors to claim job seekers allowance when not working. The Revenue has only recently informed the Musicians' Union and the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) that the change also applies to freelance musicians.

The Musicians' Union has always emphasised that, unlike actors, the nature of freelance musicians' work makes it all but impossible to claim job seekers allowance. Furthermore, freelance musicians already pay Class 2 or 4 contributions to the Revenue. The result of imposing Class 1 contributions is that freelance musicians will have their already modest pay eroded for a benefit that they are unable to claim.

Ironically, the Revenue, in demanding £33m from the orchestras, all but wipes out the £33m investment made over the last six years by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (CDMS) in our orchestras.

Freelancve musicians need an exemption. The Musicians' Union, the Arts Council, the AB and DCMS are lobbying the Government to recognise that the legislation was never intended to apply to musicians. I hope that you will join us in calling for this exemption by writing to both the Secretary of State, Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP and the Chancellor, Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP.

Thank you for your support.

Yours sincerely,

your name

MU NI Class 1 Petition to your MP

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