The new Chancellor has been urged to immediately suspend a huge tax shake-up for self-employed workers after being warned it will cause “enormous damage” to contractors and the wider economy. Businesses are planning to cut off contractors or delay work while a third of self-employed workers will stop freelancing amid widespread confusion over complying with the new IR35 rules, according to industry bodies. The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) warned the contractor market has already been severely affected ahead of changes in April to laws clamping down on tax avoidance. The REC and IPSE both urged Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, to pause the plans and engage with businesses to stop the changes severely damaging the contractor market. IR35 was designed to reduce tax avoidance by “disguised employees”...