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Check whether a worker should be employed or self-employed

You pay someone as a "self-employed" helper, but they work set hours, only for you, with your tools. Use HMRC's own checking tool properly and understand the answer.

Updated 17 Oct 2026

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The prompt · ChatGPT

Help me prepare to check a worker's employment status.

What they do: [work]
How it works: [who sets hours, where they work, who provides tools, can they send someone else, do they work for others, how they're paid]
How long it's been going on: [months]
Any written agreement: [yes or no]

First ask me up to 5 short questions. Wait for my answers.

Then:
1. My answers organised under the areas HMRC's tool asks about.
2. Look up GOV.UK's Check Employment Status for Tax page, name it and explain how to use it and what the result means.
3. What I'd need to change if the result says employed.
4. What to keep on file.

Not tax or legal advice. Only use what I've told you, leave blanks for anything I haven't given, and don't invent facts or figures. UK English.

For GOV.UK Check Employment Status for Tax, use web search and name the page you used. If it doesn't search on its own, open View all tools and choose Search.

Stay in this ChatGPT chat. Do not turn on apps or connectors, and do not use memory from another chat.

A short example

Fill the blanks, then paste. work: a short note you already have. months: a short note you already have. Leave the rest of the prompt as written.

The prompt · Gemini

Help me prepare to check a worker's employment status.

What they do: [work]
How it works: [who sets hours, where they work, who provides tools, can they send someone else, do they work for others, how they're paid]
How long it's been going on: [months]
Any written agreement: [yes or no]

First ask me up to 5 short questions. Wait for my answers.

Then:
1. My answers organised under the areas HMRC's tool asks about.
2. Look up GOV.UK's Check Employment Status for Tax page, name it and explain how to use it and what the result means.
3. What I'd need to change if the result says employed.
4. What to keep on file.

Not tax or legal advice. Only use what I've told you, leave blanks for anything I haven't given, and don't invent facts or figures. UK English.

For GOV.UK Check Employment Status for Tax, use Google Search and name the page you used.

Stay in this Gemini chat. Leave extensions off, including Gmail and Drive.

A short example

Fill the blanks, then paste. work: a short note you already have. months: a short note you already have. Leave the rest of the prompt as written.

1

You describe how the person works: hours, control, tools, substitution, other clients.

2

The assistant asks the kind of questions HMRC's tool asks, so you have the answers ready.

3

You get your answers organised, how to run the HMRC check and what to do with the result.

What happens

Use Gemini to check whether a worker should be employed or self-employed

You pay someone as a "self-employed" helper, but they work set hours, only for you, with your tools. Use HMRC's own checking tool properly and understand the answer.

Tools

Paste the prompt, fill the blanks, copy the draft.

  • Gemini — required. Drafts from the text you paste. Nothing is sent.

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