Revenue asks end clients to confirm terms where no written contract

Colleague has been requested by IR to provide documentary evidence that the client is aware of the T&Cs between himself and the Agency. What is the best way of avoiding this as, in my view, it is tantamount to acknowledging that there is a direct relationship between his service company and that of the client.

My colleague works through the same agency as myself. The work is contracted using purchase orders rather than formal contracts.

He has written to me stating that the IR have formally requested documentary evidence that the client acknowledges the formal T&Cs in place for the work being performed (presumably to areas such as substitutability).

Specifically, they have stated "for each engagement where there is no written contract, a letter is supplied by the end user/client company, confirming the full terms and conditions under which... [his company] ...provides the said services" and "provide full names and relevant address of the client representative" with the intention that the IR may "correspond/speak to the said representatives and obtain all of the relevant information".

What is the best way of avoiding this as, in my view, it is tantamount to acknowledging that there is a direct relationship between his service company and that of the client.

Should the agency supply their T&Cs which constitute a part of the agreement between them and the client.

A complication is that the immediate contact with the client is thru yet another agency, so the client would need to acknowledge their T&Cs to show that they complement that of my colleague's.

-- caimankai