About FCSA

Protecting the rights of freelance workers…

FCSA, the Service Providers’ Association, represents companies who provide tax, accountancy and administrative support and advice for the professional freelance workforce.

The association was founded in 2008 by the 3 leading companies in the industry; Giant, Brookson and Parasol.

At present, FCSA members represent over 35,000 professional freelance workers and manage over £230 million each year in National Insurance contributions and PAYE.

FCSA was set up to give the clients of accountancy service and umbrella companies a voice

The association was formed to give service provider companies and their clients a strong, united voice and make sure our opinions were fairly heard.

As we began initial engagement with Government and regulators, we began to see that there was a general lack of understanding of our sector and a misperception of the services we provide, which was manifesting in burdensome, unnecessary and potentially damaging legislative and regulatory proposals. We therefore came together to form the FCSA to bring transparency and credibility to our sector to ensure all future regulation is proportionate, fair, and takes account of the contribution FCSA members make to fostering a thriving flexible workforce.

We’ve taken the initiative to instigate and uphold a very strict code of conduct, in order to establish the highest professional standards and counter negative perceptions of our industry. We are the only companies in the sector who are independently audited to ensure compliance to this code of conduct, which includes the submission of voluntary audits to HMRC.

By uniting our sector and providing a knowledgeable and trusted point of contact for the Government and regulators, we hope to develop supportive, respectful relationships all round.

FCSA has four very clear aims:

1. To drive best practice in the sector and set the standard for professional compliance.
2. To reassure agencies and those engaging the services of freelancers that they are dealing with the most compliant service providers in the business, which means risk is minimised.
3. To promote recognition of the value that the professional freelance workforce adds to the UK economy and ensure a fair business environment.
4. To become a recognised and trusted voice for the service providers sector and provide a platform for likeminded professionals to share ideas and discuss opportunities.

We will achieve our aims by:

1. Establishing a credible model for compliance; the FCSA code of conduct.
2. Clearly demonstrating the commercial benefits of a compliant business model, for example, maintaining substantial tax receipts to the Exchequer.
3. Raising awareness of the service providers sector, along with its role within and value to UK plc.
4. Recruiting new members to increase our influence and by engaging the Government and regulators to increase their understanding of the industry.