About us

Our History

Bauer and Cottrell was founded in 2003 by leading UK status expert, Kate Cottrell.  After successful careers with the likes of a top accounting firm, and with HMRC as an Employer Compliance Manager, Kate decided to start her own business providing IR35 specialist services to contractors trying to navigate the recently introduced, complex tax legislation.  This was the beginning of an extraordinary journey in Kate becoming one of the UK’s most well-known and respected IR35 and off-payroll working rules experts.

During her time as owner of B&C, Kate undertook numerous high-profile engagements within the industry which have been instrumental in the ongoing application of IR35.  These include being appointed by the Office of Tax Simplification as an expert IR35 policy advisor, tasked with undertaking the review of IR35 and writing the report for the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, being a founder and serving member on HMRC’s IR35 Forum and being appointed to assist the House of Lords committee on the use of Personal Service Companies.

Kate was a much-loved “champion of contractors”, and over the years successfully defended countless contractors who were being misclassified by HMRC, saving them £hundreds of thousands in wrongly assessed tax and NIC.

Kate’s expertise, and that of her team of specialists, has earned B&C the outstanding reputation and industry-leading status it enjoys today. Kate’s journey was nothing short of remarkable, and her contributions were instrumental in shaping the landscape of IR35 and the off-payroll working rules in the UK.

Kate Cottrell – “IR35 Legend” 1955 – 2023

Most of our technical consultants are ex-HMRC compliance staff with first-hand experience in dealing with the IR35 legislation.  Established almost 20 years ago with a vision to redefine IR35 consultancy, we’ve grown into a respected industry leader known for our seasoned expertise, integrity, and unwavering professionalism.

Charlie Hemsworth, our Senior Tax Consultant joined Bauer & Cottrell in 2015. Charlie has over 20 years of experience in legal compliance in the contracting industry, beginning her career with various large accountancy service providers eventually undertaking the role of Senior Compliance Manager, with an emphasis and specialism in the IR35 rules and general employment status.

Charlie’s time at B&C has spanned many significant changes to the IR35 legislation, most recently the advent of the off-payroll working reforms in the public and private sectors.  She has played a pivotal role in shaping and adapting the popular services offered by B&C today. During her time with the company, Charlie has personally undertaken thousands of contract reviews and IR35 assessments and has defended and won many HMRC investigation cases, contributing to B&C’s impeccable 100% win track record.

Charlie is passionate about delivering a professional and dedicated customer experience which always includes a “personal touch”, and as a result enjoys great working relationships with all our clients.  This has been instrumental in our ability to retain an extremely loyal client base and high volumes of work through recommendation. In her own words, Charlie will always do a “proper job”!

Our Values

• Expertise and competence: Demonstrating a deep understanding of the IR35 / off-payroll working rules, we ensure we remain consistently up to date with all developments and changes, enabling us to provide fully dependable and credible services to our clients.
• Honesty and integrity: Our commitment to transparency, honesty, and our ethical approach is the foundation of our success. We believe in doing what’s right, no matter how challenging. Our track record of time-tested trustworthiness demonstrates that our advice can always be wholly relied upon.
• Impartiality: we ensure fairness, objectivity and the absence of bias in all services we provide.
• Professionalism: Delivering a professional service is extremely important to us and at the core of everything we do.  With our meticulous attention to detail, and track record of delivering an exceptional service, we consistently uphold the highest standards to ensure your complete satisfaction.
• Commitment to our employees: Our dedicated team has been with us for the long haul, reflecting our stability and commitment to nurturing talent.  Our low staff turnover means you’ll always work with familiar faces who know your business inside and out.
• Client-centric approach and education: Focusing on clients’ unique needs and offering tailored solutions to help them navigate IR35 compliance effectively, and empowering clients with knowledge and resources to make informed decisions about IR35 compliance.

Read about why our clients trust us as their dedicated IR35 experts.

Whatever your IR35 and status compliance needs, we’ve got you covered.

Contact our team of dedicated  IR35 experts today to discuss your requirements.