This might be related to the legal change for IR35, which is intended to prevent companies pretending that their employees are freelancers and thus making their

This might be related to the legal change for IR35, which is intended to prevent companies pretending that their employees are freelancers and thus making their situation more precarious against their interest. A bunch of companies got the wind up about the legal and tax liability and so are dealing with contractors in a more restrictive way. Others are still using contractors and just need to make sure that the legal situation is clear. Have a look at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax