Finding the right umbrella company can be a bit challenging, as there are over 500 umbrella companies operating in the UK. To help you find the best umbrella company, we have carefully curated a list of top umbrella companies in the UK. Our list includes companies that have been audited for compliance and are accredited or certified by industry bodies such as the FCSA, Professional Passport, or SafeRec, ensuring the highest standards of service and compliance. Whether you’re a new or experienced contractor, we are here to help you make an informed choice. You can also use our umbrella pay calculator to estimate your take-home pay when working through an umbrella company.
Here's our list of the best umbrella companies in the UK, all of which hold FCSA accreditation, Professional Passport approval, or SafeRec certification. These highly trusted, award-winning, and recommended umbrella companies are among the top payroll service providers in the UK.
Legal Disclaimer: ITContractorsUK.com cannot be held liable for non-performance or any issues arising from the use of the umbrella companies listed on our site. We strongly recommend that you conduct thorough due diligence before hiring or appointing any of the umbrella companies mentioned above. If you notice any discrepancies in the listings or have any complaints, feedback, or suggestions, please contact us at [email protected].
Compare umbrella companies and make an informed decision. Use our umbrella comparison table below to evaluate the UK’s best umbrella companies and choose the one that best suits your needs.
| Umbrella Company | Weekly Margin | FCSA Accreditation | Professional Passport | SafeRec Certified | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DASA Umbrella | £10 | Yes | Yes | No | 4.7 |
| Templeton Brook | £19 | No | Yes | No | 4.8 |
| Pay Guardians | £18 | No | No | Yes | 4.8 |
| Parasol | £29 | Yes | No | No | 4.8 |
| Giant Group | £22 | Yes | No | No | 4.8 |
| Contractor Umbrella | £15 | Yes | No | Yes | 4.3 |
| PayStream | £27 | Yes | No | No | 4.8 |
| Umbrella Company UK | £20 | Yes | No | Yes | 4.8 |
| Brookson One | £20 | Yes | No | No | 4.4 |
| Workwell | £22 | Yes | No | No | 4.7 |
You can verify umbrella company ratings on platforms like Trustpilot, Google, and similar sites.
Trustworthy Umbrella company reviews can be found on platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn, Trustpilot, Google Business Reviews, and forums such as Mumsnet and UK Business Forums. These platforms are the best places to find genuine and authentic opinions about umbrella companies. Everywhere else, you may just find advertisements, which are not always reliable.
Below is the list of FCSA approved umbrella companies. You can also visit FCSA's oficial website to find out more.
There are umbrella companies in the UK that follow HMRC guidelines and are compliant. However, there is no umbrella company in the UK that is pre-approved by the HMRC. Having said that, HMRC is actively investigating umbrella companies that are running tax avoidance schemes. To raise awareness and to protect the interests of temporary workers, HMRC has prepared a list of umbrella companies that they have found to be involved in running tax avoidance schemes.
Below is HMRC's list of umbrella companies involved in tax avoidance schemes. This list names the tax avoidance schemes, promoters, enablers, and suppliers. The most recent additions and updates to the list of named tax avoidance schemes, promoters, enablers and suppliers were published on 16 January 2025.
New additions are Masterstroke Solutions Limited, Calculate Limited, Rainwize Umbrella Limited, Stark Payment Services Ltd and Penhale Solutions Limited. See the full list below.
Below is a list of SafeRec certified umbrella companies. You can verify this list on SafeRec's official website.
Below is a list of Professional Passport approved umbrella companies. You can verify this list on Professional Passport's official website.
Download the list of well-known umbrella companies in the UK, including those accredited by FCSA, approved by Professional Passport, and certified by SafeRec. There are over 140 top-rated UK-based umbrella companies on the list. You can downlad the list for free.
Download the complete list in PDF format.
Download the complete list in Microsoft Excel format.
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Assignment Rate | The total amount paid by the client or recruitment agency to the umbrella company for a contractor's services. This includes the contractor's pay, employer costs, and the umbrella company's margin. |
| BACS | A UK system for transferring payments directly between bank accounts. |
| Contractor | An individual who provides services to a client, often under a temporary or fixed-term arrangement. |
| Dispensation | An old term for expense reporting, replaced by the trivial benefits rule. |
| Employer's National Insurance Contributions (NICs) | A tax paid by the employer (in this case, the umbrella company) to the HMRC, calculated as a percentage of the contractor's earnings. |
| Expenses | Work-related costs eligible for reimbursement. |
| Gross Pay | Total earnings before deductions. |
| Holiday Pay | An amount accrued from a contractor's earnings to provide payment during holidays. |
| HMRC | Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs: the UK government agency responsible for tax collection, including PAYE, VAT, and NICs. |
| Invoice | A billing statement issued to request payment for services. |
| IR35 Legislation | Tax rules designed to determine whether a contractor is genuinely self-employed or working as a disguised employee. |
| Margin (Umbrella Fee) | The fee charged by the umbrella company for administering payroll and handling employment responsibilities. |
| MSC | Managed Service Company, an intermediary subject to stricter tax rules. |
| Net Pay | Take-home pay after all deductions. |
| P45 | A document issued upon leaving a job, showing income and tax paid during the year. |
| P60 | An annual summary of income and tax deductions. |
| Pension Contributions | Deductions made from a contractor’s earnings to contribute to a workplace pension scheme, as required under auto-enrolment legislation. |
| PAYE (Pay As You Earn) | The UK system for collecting income tax and NICs directly from employees' wages. |
| Same Day Payment | A payroll service where payments are made on the same day. |
| Self-assessment | A system for reporting income and calculating tax. |
| Statutory Payments | Legally mandated payments for employees, such as Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), and Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP). |
| Take-Home Pay | The net amount a contractor receives after deductions for taxes, NICs, pension contributions, and the umbrella company's margin. |
| Temporary Workplace | A work location deemed temporary under tax law, allowing travel and subsistence expenses to be claimed, subject to certain conditions. |
| Timesheet | A record of hours worked, submitted for payroll processing. |
| Umbrella Company | A business that employs contractors, processes payroll under PAYE, and manages taxes, expenses, and employment rights. |
| Umbrella Payslip | A detailed document provided to contractors, showing gross pay, deductions, and net pay. It highlights the breakdown of taxes and other contributions. |
| Umbrella Worker | A contractor who is employed by an umbrella company and works on assignments for end clients through agencies or directly. |
| VAT (Value Added Tax) | A consumption tax applied to goods and services. Umbrella companies often charge VAT on their margin to agencies or clients. |
| Workplace Benefits | Perks offered by some umbrella companies, such as health insurance, pensions, or access to employee assistance programmes (EAPs). |
| Zero-Hour Contract | A type of employment agreement where no minimum working hours are guaranteed. Some umbrella companies operate on such contracts. |
If you need any help with choosing the right Umbrella Company, simply email us at [email protected], and we will get in touch with you.
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