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FAQs
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BuiltWithNOF

Artwork supplied by Carleen Houbart

Freelance FAQs

moonWhether you are new to freelancing or a seasoned campaigner we have included some typical questions and how we at Game Ops like to organise things:

Employment Policies

Most clients expect the work to be done on their premises to ensure proper control and integration with other members of the development team, in return the client will pay for travel and accommodation costs if this requires you to work outside of a reasonable daily traveling distance.

Pay

What happens about PAYE and NIC?
Answer: As a contractor you are self-employed and responsible for your own PAYE and NIC contributions, you should take advice from an accountant or other suitably qualified person regarding payment of tax as well as expenses that can be deducted before calculating tax due. Under no circumstances will Game Ops or it's clients be liable for any tax or NIC on behalf of contractors.

How much should I charge?
Answer: You should calculate your daily rate based on what you would expect to earn in a permanent job plus 25% approx. Remember that you may not get 12 months continuous employment, but the benefits of freelancing should allow you to offset many expenses before tax is deducted. Please get professional advice from an accountant to maximize your allowances.

Who do I invoice?
Answer: You will invoice Game Ops, we will invoice the client and be responsible for collecting their fees and paying you.

When do I raise an invoice?
Answer: You should raise your invoice on the last working day of the month and it should cover every day you have worked including the last day. Where a project finishes mid month you should raise your invoice on the last working day of the project.

When do I get paid?
Answer: Our terms with each client are 7 days from invoice date, and we date the invoice as the last day of the month worked, or the last day of the project. However, as is the case with many developers payment is sometimes late so please be patient. We will do our utmost to ensure that payment is made as promptly as possible and we guarantee that we will not hold your money, as soon as it is received it will be transferred to your account.


Should I register for VAT?
Answer:
You are required to register for VAT if your taxable supplies exceed the specified level set by the government more details are available at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/home.htm.

Hours

How many hours should I work per day?
Answer:
This is for you to agree with the client. Remember that it is important to bond with the existing team and that may require a bit of effort on your part but the benefit is that you will get repeat business from satisfied clients.

What happens if I'm sick and can't work for a day?
Answer:: Game Ops should be informed at the earliest opportunity, however, as a freelance contractor you are not entitled to sick pay or holidays, this is part of the reason that you can charge a premium for your time as the client does not have to pay for time you are not at work.

Location

Do I have to pay for my own travel and accommodation if I'm working in-house?
Answer: All our clients agree to meet the costs of travel and accommodation where they require you to work in-house in their studio.

What if I don't want to work in-house?

Answer: We register your preference for working in-house or not and will not put your details forward to clients requiring in-house work if you have expressed a desire to work from home. Please note however, that this will seriously reduce the number of projects available.

 

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