Back to News 27th Aug 2019 by Andrew Earnshaw AccountancyAge – Chris Jewers: It is easy to see why many contractors and freelancers are worried about the impact of this charge. If the charge is not suspended, up to 50,000 people will be forced to pay retrospective tax on up to 20 years of income in one year, which could see HMRC recoup up to £3.2bn in tax as businesses go bankrupt and homes are lost.