Net or Gross Pay - what's the difference?

Always agree a gross wage with your PA or run the risk of seriously damaging your wealth.

Service users often agree a net (i.e. take-home) wage with their PA, but in reality a PA is always paid a gross salary, with tax and National Insurance Contributions deducted and paid to HMRC on a quarterly basis by the employer. Although many employers tend to look on this as an additional cost, it is actually part of the employee's gross wage. On top of the gross wage, employers also have to pay an Employer's National Insurance Contribution for each employee.

Domestic employment is probably one of the few professions left in the UK where wages are still commonly agreed on the basis of net (i.e. take-home) pay. It is surprising that this outdated arrangement has not yet been dispensed with, as there are considerable financial implications at stake for both PA and employer.

By agreeing a net pay you are essentially writing a blank cheque - committing to pay all your PA's tax and National Insurance contributions, irrespective of any changes in the legislation and without taking into account their individual tax code or tax position.
There are several reasons why a PA's tax code can vary from a standard tax code; for instance, if they have two part-time jobs and their other employer is already using up their personal tax-free allowance in their wage calculations, then you, the second employer, must pay tax from the first penny the PA earns, since the personal tax-free allowance can only be claimed once. Another reason for an unusual tax code would be if HMRC were collecting unpaid or underpaid tax from previous employment.
An increasing number of state benefits and tax reliefs are paid through the payroll mechanism as an offset to employee tax and NI liability. Any taxable benefit provided by the employer, such as the personal use of a car, will increase costs if they are based on a fixed net wage.
The difference between a net pay and the actual cost of employing a PA can be staggering (up to 50% more) and may come as an unpleasant surprise, especially to an inexperienced first-time employer.

A net pay arrangement is equally unfavourable to your PA.