Employment Rights Act 1996: Primary legislation that helps define the boundaries between employment and consulting relationships, even though consultants are typically not employees
Contracts Act 1999: Fundamental legislation governing contract formation, terms, and enforcement in England and Wales
Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982: Legislation governing the provision of services, including quality standards and implied terms
Consumer Rights Act 2015: Relevant when the consultant is contracting with a business client, defining consumer rights and business obligations
Income Tax Act 2007: Tax legislation relevant for consultant income reporting and taxation
IR35 Legislation: Off-payroll working rules determining tax status of consultants and contractors
Value Added Tax Act 1994: Legislation governing VAT obligations for consulting services
National Insurance Contributions Act 2014: Legislation regarding national insurance obligations for self-employed consultants
UK GDPR: Data protection regulation governing the processing of personal data
Data Protection Act 2018: UK's implementation of data protection requirements, working alongside UK GDPR
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988: Legislation governing intellectual property rights and their protection
Trade Marks Act 1994: Legislation protecting trademarks and related intellectual property
Equality Act 2010: Anti-discrimination legislation ensuring equal treatment regardless of protected characteristics
Trade Secrets Regulations 2018: Regulations protecting confidential business information and trade secrets
Limitation Act 1980: Legislation setting time limits for bringing legal claims and actions
Civil Procedure Rules: Rules governing civil litigation and dispute resolution procedures in England and Wales
