Contracting Blog

January 04th 2021

UK Guidance on Statutory Residence Test

Individuals who freelance abroad are continuing to be hit by complexities due to travel restrictions amid the current COVID-19 pandemic.  
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December 10th 2020

EU-UK Adequacy Agreement For Data Protection

As the UK is currently in the EU it is subject to the GDPR regime adopted by the European Union with regards to data protection standards.
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November 12th 2020

Tax Residence Concerns as a Consequence of Travel Restrictions

The arduous travel restrictions in response to the Covid 19 outbreak have no doubt affected every single person in some way or another.  In particular international freelancers and contractors have specific concerns. 
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November 12th 2020

30% Ruling Granted by Dutch Tax Authorities

This special tax regime is applicable for inbound employees providing certain requirements are met whereby the employee is entitled to a maximum of 30% of their income to be tax free.
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September 07th 2020

UK Government to reform recognition of Foreign Qualifications

The Government in the United Kingdom is still undergoing many changes due to its exit from the European Union in anticipation in case sufficient bilateral agreements are not reached.

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August 07th 2020

Grants Available for Contractors with Public Sector Engagements

We have reported repeatedly on the unpopular IR35 off-payroll rules that were introduced in the United Kingdom.  However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic there may finally be a positive side to this.
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August 04th 2020

Ireland to Waive Withholding Tax on Income of Non-Resident Employees

In response to the international crisis that the world is experiencing Ireland issued their COVID-19 (No. 2) 2020 Bill on the 24 June 2020 in an effort to stimulate areas in the workforce.

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August 04th 2020

More Countries to Welcome Remote Workers

We reported recently on working remotely from the Bahamas for one year.

Bermuda has now followed suit.  They are also offering a temporary one year residency certificate and it has also increased its maximum stay from ninety to one hundred and eighty days.

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July 17th 2020

Work Remotely from Barbados for Twelve Months!

We often state that one of the most advantageous aspects of freelancing or self-employed contracting is that you can literally work anywhere in the world.  But in reality this is often limited depending on job prospects.
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July 13th 2020

Co-working Space for Contractors

The world has changed rapidly in the last few decades and thanks to the internet revolution chasing your dream of becoming an international contractor and working abroad in a wide variety of countries is now much more achievable
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May 12th 2020

House of Lord Highly Critical of Off-Payroll Working Rules

We have reported previously on the IR35 rules and how in our opinion these are highly flawed and unnecessarily complicated, and a persecution of a highly beneficial sector to the United Kingdoms economy. 
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May 07th 2020

Office Operation during COVID-19 Pandemic

We would like to inform all our customers, business associates and potential clients that our office has managed to maintain almost full functionality during this trying period.
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April 07th 2020

New Off-Payroll Rules Extension

The IR35 rules have proved to be very unpopular, especially as their complex nature can be vexing on Employers.  So it is good news that the HMRC announced on the 7 February 2020 an extension to these off-payroll rules.
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September 07th 2018

Record Number of Non-EU Techie Permits

Last year saw a a 28% drop in applications from the EU, which was matched by a 30% drop in offers to EU candidates.  This has led to record numbers of work permits being issued to IT workers from outside the EU.  This is the fifth year in a row that these have increased.
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September 07th 2018

Invoicing Whilst Waiting for a VAT Number

There are a number of jurisdictions depending on the set-up where contractors can register their limited company  for VAT, for example Ireland. 
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August 08th 2018

Taylor Employment Review

Last year Matthew Taylor the United Kingdom’s head of the Royal Society of Arts conducted a nine month review centring on modern working practices whose findings were published on the 11 July 2017.
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March 19th 2018

Work Permit and Payroll Solutions for African Countries

When deciding to contract abroad one never looks forward to the associated paperwork involved to enable the move to go smoothly, especially work permits...
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January 15th 2018

Self-Employed Take Matters into Their Own Hands

It seems that we are constantly reporting on the lack of confidence and persecution felt by most contractors with regards to the UK government...
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November 15th 2017

Self-Employed Women on the Increase

Record numbers of women in the United Kingdom are choosing self-employment over traditional permanent positions.  The flexible hours and remote working conditions are a particular draw to women returning to work after child birth.  Scotland in particular has a much larger average of women in creative businesses than the rest of the UK.
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October 20th 2017

Brexit Effect on Contracting Assignments

A recent survey form the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has shown that 85% of professional recruitment leaders in the UK predict business growth over the next twelve months.
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October 18th 2017

Number of Skilled Migrants Unaffected by Brexit

Despite fears regarding skilled recruitment from abroad post Brexit, it has not had the negative effect anticipated.  In the first six months post Brexit inter-company transfer visa’s were up 3% on the previous year.
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October 05th 2017

UK Annual Charge on Foreign Skilled Workers

As of April 2017 UK employers must pay a £1,000 annual charge for each foreign worker they employ with Tier 2 immigration status in an effort to encourage British businesses to recruit and train UK employees.  There are reports that this will be extended to include EU workers once the UK exits the European Union.  
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October 05th 2017

London’s Access to EU Market Post Brexit

Many firms were positive concerning London’s automatic access to EU markets after the UK vote to exit the European Union.  However, now that the implementation process has begun the actual realities concerning this have become apparent.
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October 05th 2017

National Insurance Contributions for the Self-Employed Not to be Raised

We repeatedly seem to be reporting on contractor’s disappointment in British government and how they fail to deliver on promises and recognise the unique aspects of the industry and support this.
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August 18th 2017

New York Introduces Cyber Security Regulations

Professionals involved in IT protection who reside or are looking to reside in New York will expect to be inundated with work after the New York State Department of Financial Services proposed new regulations in September 2016 concerning the minimum cybersecurity obligations of financial institutions. The Department of Financial Services have cited cyber security as one of the most critical issues facing the financial world today and therefore deems regulatory action a necessity.
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August 18th 2017

Changes to UK skilled workers Visa

We reported in September 2016 on the subject of the difficulties Businesses in the UK were experiencing recruiting skilled workers due to the Tier 2 visa programme having reached its cap.  However after a comprehensive review the minimum salary for experienced workers applying for this visa is to be increased and there are also plans for increased compliance visits.  This certainly does not help British businesses who are facing a skills shortage.
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August 18th 2017

IT Pay Caps in the NHS

The National Health Service in the UK has found itself frequently in the news recently for various shortfalls. But are any of these attributable to insufficient IT management.
In late 2015 the NHS introduced restrictions in pay rates, the reasoning was to bring contracting IT personnel pay rates more in line with permanent employees, causing much outrage at the time.  Critics hit back arguing that the NHS would be denied the top experts who would choose to take contracting positions elsewhere for more money.  
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June 29th 2017

British Prime Ministers Push For Reforms to Help Contractors

Theresa May the Prime Minister in the United Kingdom has been working the Brexit to her advantage, pushing this as a time for change in order for the United Kingdom to evolve into an ideal of what people want. 
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June 29th 2017

Predicted Effect of Brexit on Skilled Workers for Ireland

The UK’s decision to leave the EU has led to much speculation over what that will mean for Ireland.
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May 08th 2017

Ransomware Attacks on the Increase

A recent survey has said that 54% of businesses surveyed had come under attack from ransomware in the last twelve months.  Ransomware essentially encrypts files on a computer or on a network of computers.  Companies affected then have to pay the ransom in order to be provided with the decryption key in order to unlock their own files.  The most common areas targeted are the healthcare and finance industries.
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May 08th 2017

United Kingdom’s Budget Proposals to Make Private Sector Companies Responsible for Tax Status

On the 2 June 2016 we reported on the March 2016 Budget’s effects on Contractors.  In this article we commented on proposals to make public sector bodies responsible for operating tax rules that apply to off-payroll personnel from April 2017.
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May 08th 2017

EU Less Attractive for Skilled Expats

According to a report by the OECD the European Union is not getting its fair share of skilled international workers due to its legal policies.
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March 08th 2017

No Escape from EU Rules for IT Contractors

The decision to exit the EU has raised some interesting questions in the IT world.  
One of the reasons being promoted in the campaigns to leave the EU was to put an end to being dictated to and forced to abide by rules not necessarily agreed with, but now that it is a reality it is not that simple.  Many companies are finding that if the UK is not compliant with EU legislation it will seriously affect trade between the two.
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February 01st 2017

What Expenses are Outside the New Travel and Subsistence Rules

Since the Finance Bill came into force in the United Kingdom on the 6th April 2016 many contractors are asking the question as to what expenses are outside the new rules concerning travel and subsistence.
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February 01st 2017

UK IT Jobs Increase Since Brexit

There was a lot of doom and gloom leading up to Brexit vote surrounding the uncertainty that it would bring.
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February 01st 2017

HMRC Challenged Over Tax Relief on Travel Expenses

We have reported extensively on the highly unpopular restriction of tax relief for travel and subsistence rules which were introduced in April of this year.
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November 14th 2016

New Child Care Scheme in the UK open to Self-Employed

We often touch upon the subject of when choosing the life of a self-employed contractor it comes with its own amount of considerations that do not necessarily apply to that of the life of a ‘permie’.
 
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November 03rd 2016

Pet Hates of Employers

A formidable factor when choosing the life of an international contractor and working abroad is how to impress the boss.  
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October 20th 2016

French Tax Incentives to Encourage Foreign Workers

French executives and professionals have previously been targeted by other countries including Britain to lure them away due to the high level of taxes in France.
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October 13th 2016

British-Irish Visa Scheme Extended to Isle of Man

Previously Chinese and Indian nationals visiting the United Kingdom and Ireland would need two visas.  However the British-Irish Visa Scheme allows short stays between the UK and Ireland and vice versa.  The introduction of the Immigration (Control of Entry Through Ireland) Order 2016 has now extended this scheme to include the Isle of Man. This scheme eliminates the need for separate applications and additional fees incurred.  
Although the visa applies to short stay visits only and does not permit the individual to work it is hoped that this will encourage business visitors to the Island and thus open up new economic opportunities.
 
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October 07th 2016

United Kingdom March 2016 Budget Effect on Contractors

Contractors have long expressed the opinion that the government does not understand the unique pressures that they face and in fact that they feel a certain degree of victimization.  
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September 29th 2016

Isle Of Man exempts Work Permits for IT Workers

The Isle of Man is a small Island with a big reputation, particularly when it comes to gambling.  In an effort to remain at the forefront of what has been cited as one of the most innovative and rapid growing areas of electronic enterprise the Isle of Man is exempting certain workers employed in the IT sector from work permits.
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September 23rd 2016

10 Actions Recommended by Self-Employment Review

On the 20th of April 2016 we reported regarding The All Party Parliamentary Group for Self-Employment and Freelancing (the ‘APPG’) which is a new group that has been set up to raise awareness within parliament about working independently. This group met for the first time on the 15th September 2015 and one of the main points discussed was the upcoming government review of self-employment.  
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September 19th 2016

New Visa Scheme to Attract High Skilled IT Workers

Britain came under criticism last year when its Tier 2 visa programme which was introduced by the coalition government in 2011 reached its cap meaning that businesses were unable to recruit skilled workers from non-EU countries leading to remarks that Britain had closed its doors to some of the best and brightest talent in the world which could ultimately prove harmful to its economy. 
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September 14th 2016

Cloud – It’s impact on the IT world

Cloud is relatively new to IT and therefore is developing at a much faster rate than other areas.  It is predicted that half of IT infrastructure and software investments will be cloud based by 2018. 
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August 29th 2016

France to Reimburse Social Contributions

In the summer budget of 2012 France introduced social contribution charges to non-residents.  This was immediately met with strong opposition.  However in October 2015 the French Tax Authority have now announced that it will refund these social contributions, but only to European residents.  
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August 09th 2016

Concerns over Cap on German Contracts

A recent labour law reform has led to the termination of one hundred and eighty local contractors.  The reform which comes into effect from January 2017 means that a cap of eighteen months has been put in place with regards to leasing temporary workers, which includes skilled contractors from abroad.  Therefore after only eighteen months in the job contractors would be classed as permanent employees.
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August 09th 2016

What Currency to be Paid In?

We have said it numerous times before that whilst the life of an international contractor offers many inviting perks, it also comes with its own unique set of problems.  One of these problems occurs when a decision needs to be made regarding what currency to be paid in.
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June 29th 2016

A Weaker Euro’s Effect on Contractors

A Weaker Euro initially sounds like a bad thing, but is that really the case. The weaker Euro was actually welcomed by financial experts due to the anticipation that this would boost the economies and promote job growth.
International contractors have different concerns to think about than the average worker, this includes currencies of the countries of where they intend to work and how fluctuations may affect their take home pay and securing future employment.
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June 29th 2016

IT Skills Tipped to be Hot for 2016

We previously blogged on the increasing need for certification to show that you have the relevant IT skills that employers are currently looking for, in this we briefly touched upon the necessity to have chosen a specific area of expertise.  The world of IT is so vast and ever changing that whilst a general competence covering all areas is essential it would be almost impossible to become an expert in every field with knowledge of all new software.
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June 22nd 2016

Contractors Opinion on Brexit – Part 2

Further to our blog of 7 April 2016 in which we reported that professional contractors were generally leaning towards voting in favour of remaining in the EU we now review to see if the campaigns have alleviated experts concerns that many people did not fully understand the implications of leaving the EU and see if this has changed the contractors views prior to the referendum to be held of the 23 June 2016.
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June 03rd 2016

The Evolving World of IT Certifications

Due to how quickly the world of IT is evolving this has led to an increase in the need for IT contractors, whether to update an antiquated system or whether to protect them from the ever increasing risks of cyber-crime.
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May 25th 2016

EU Legislation Affects on Temporary Workers

Recent changes to legislation across the EU have created new restrictions on contracts with non-permanent employees.
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May 20th 2016

Polish Labour Code Amended

On the 21 August 2015 the following amendments in relation to contracts in the Polish labour code were adopted and came into force as of the 22 February 2016;
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May 17th 2016

European Union Invest in Advanced Computing in the UK

It is a known fact that when competing in business it is extremely important to incorporate changes in technology.  This is one of the reasons contractors provide such a vital role in industry.  Permanent staff members can lead to stagnant internal procedures which can prevent development.
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May 06th 2016

Cost of Living When Contracting Abroad

We have highlighted to contractors before that when being offered a well-paid position abroad you should always check the cost of living beforehand.  What might seem like a good wage compared to what you are currently earning can quickly disappear through your fingers once rent and living expenses are paid out leaving you sometimes worse off.
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April 27th 2016

Contractors Reaction to the UK’s Restriction on Travel and Subsistence Relief

In response to the government’s announcement of the restriction on tax relief for travel and subsistence expenses, an alarmingly large amount of contractors have let their feelings be known on the matter via surveys.
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April 20th 2016

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Self-Employment

The All Party Parliamentary Group for Self-Employment and Freelancing (the ‘APPG’) is a new group that has been set up to raise awareness within parliament about working independently.  This new group is chaired by David Morris MP who was appointed as the UK’s first ‘self-employed ambassador’ in November 2014.
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April 07th 2016

Contractors Opinion on Brexit

In 1975 Britain held a referendum in which it voted to remain in the Common Market as the European Union was then called.  However, forty years later and the European Union has grown dramatically and so has its degree of control over its members sparking calls from all directions for another referendum to decide whether or not Britain should remain in the EU.
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April 07th 2016

UK Autumn Statements Effects on Contracting

Whilst the exciting world of international contracting offers a variety of advantages and opportunities it also comes with its own specific hurdles.  In recent years contractors have highlighted with government these hurdles in a hope that their unique circumstances can be taken into account and solutions offered.  However, opinion on government amongst contractors is still reported as low and often referred to as what contractors believe to be a ‘persecution’ by their government.
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March 29th 2016

The Finance Bill 2016 Effects on Travel and Subsistence

From April 2016 contractors working under an umbrella company will not automatically be entitled to tax relief on travel and subsistence expenses. 
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March 18th 2016

Salaries for Contractors in 2015

As we enter the new year thoughts inevitably turn to wondering what this will hold in store for us.  Career and money are always a top concern particularly in international contracting circles due to the somewhat unpredictable nature of the work.
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March 18th 2016

France Adopts Mandatory Health Insurance

All companies regardless of size will be obligated to provide complementary health insurance to employers as of 1 January 2016.
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February 04th 2016

Awards for IT Women

The search is over for the FDM everywoman in Technology Awards 2016 with a total of eleven awards up for grabs.
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February 04th 2016

Getting a Mortgage When You Are A Contractor

Whilst being an international contractor has many perks, including a higher take home pay it can also produce some unforeseen problems that may not necessarily affect your regular Joe in a permanent job.  Among them is the ability to get a mortgage.
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February 04th 2016

Corbyn’s Pledge for Contractors

Speaking at his first conference as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to give Britain’s contractors and other independent workers maternity, paternity and sick pay.
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January 11th 2016

Hong Kong Launches New One-Stop Web Portal to Attract Talented Expats

On 11 August 2015 Hong Kong launched its one-stop web portal to provide information for people considering relocating to Hong Kong.  This is only one of a number of initiatives ongoing to attract professionals to the city.
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December 31st 2015

Employment Benefits for Contractors

International contracting can have a variety of advantages, but it is not without its disadvantages.  Whilst a regular employee enjoys a certain amount of security there is always the worry about losing their job, but this isn’t so much of a worry as a certainty for contractors who normally negotiate a fixed term of employment before entering into a job
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December 24th 2015

Preparing Contractors for the New Dividend Tax

In the UK budget held in July of this year George Osborne announced the introduction of a new dividend tax.  Contractors who operate a business through a company and remunerate by taking dividends as opposed to other forms of renumeration may therefore find themselves worse off after 6th April 2016.
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December 10th 2015

Ecuador Still Best Expat Destination

According to a latest expat survey Ecuador is still the most favourable place for expats 2015 repeating its achievement in 2014.  Luxembourg which is always a favourable location for contractors has now dropped from second place to fifth.
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December 03rd 2015

Job Skills Gained From Travel

There was a time when Contracting abroad was only for the highly adventurous and brave.
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October 30th 2015

Data Breaches And Their Impact On IT Contracting

The number of data breaches for financial firms has more than doubled over recent years.  A number of well-known banks have faced multiple investigations with human error being fingered as the culprit.
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October 22nd 2015

Global Investment in Financial Technology Triples

In a recent report by Accenture global investment in financial technology also known as fintech tripled from £2.72 billion in 2013 to £8.18 billion in 2014.
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October 15th 2015

Integrating into a New Culture to Avoid Conflict

One of the more exciting aspects of being an international contractor is the number of countries you get to experience living in.  However it is not just problems with language gaps that you need to look out for sometimes cultural habits can cause friction as well.
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October 08th 2015

Increase in UK IT Work Permits

It is estimated that the number of skilled IT workers entering the UK from outside of the EU increased by 13% last year.
This surge is attributed to an increasing reliance on foreign skills due to a historic problem of underproduction of IT skills in the UK which has led to firms seeking foreign talents for IT jobs such as business analysts, architects and systems designers, programmers and software developers, web design and development specialists.  Many of these jobs are currently on the National List of shortage occupations.
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September 30th 2015

Government Conducting Self-Employment Review

In an announcement made on the 1 July 2015 it was publicised that an independent review of self-employment in the UK is to be conducted.  This marks another deliverance from the Conservative Government on one of their pledges made to the Self-Employed during their election campaign.
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September 24th 2015

Top Ten Reputable Countries

The results of the 2015 survey conducted by the Reputation Institute have now been published and many of the countries which are popular for international contractors rank in the top ten.
The top ten countries are as follows with Ireland just missing out at number 11.
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September 17th 2015

New Era In Banking For International Customers?

A Spanish bank called Caixa has announced the launch of a new service aimed specifically at international clients.
The service which is available under the marketing name HolaBank will operate initially via a network of 100 branches, but is also available online.  The staff are specifically trained in helping customers with international issues and are able to assist in several languages such as English, German, French or Russian.
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September 11th 2015

Top Countries When Contracting Abroad

When starting a new job everybody experiences some degree of trepidation over concerns such as what if I don’t fit in or what if I don’t like it there.  This is magnified when you are an international contractor as probably the primary concern over concerns for your job is whether you will fit in or like it in the new destination that you have to move too.
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September 03rd 2015

Why do Fewer Women Become International Contractors

In a recent report published by PwC Australia it was noted that despite woman generally stating they would like to work abroad only one in four expatriate workers are female. 
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August 27th 2015

Contractor Wages

Higher wages have always been one of the top reasons for a person to opt to become a contractor rather than engage in a more secure full time position.  In 2014 it was reported that self-employed contractors in the UK were earning around three times the national wage.  When it comes to Europe however the wages differ greatly and therefore play a large part in the decision to contract abroad. 
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August 20th 2015

Have Contractor Demands on the New Government Made a Difference?

During its election campaign the Conservatives had published a small business manifesto declaring its support for the self-employed and recognising various difficulties that face them such as maternity, pensions and mortgages.  Contractors were quick to test this support by making demands as soon as the election was over.
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August 13th 2015

Summary of How the UK Election Results Has Effected Expats

The UK election was held on 7 May 2015 and the Conservative Party won by a narrow vote.  But what does this mean for British expats?
A welcome policy of the conservatives is the introduction of a transferable ‘family home allowance’ worth GBP175,000 on top of the existing GBP325,000 inheritance tax threshold which will enable a number of family’s to pass on their homes without the concern of crippling inheritance tax.  Whilst this will greatly benefit families residing in the UK, expats may find issues with what constitutes a ‘family home’ if they have not been residing there for some time.
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August 06th 2015

Increase in Flemish Schools That Teach in English

A major problem for Contractors who work abroad is the effect that their life has on their family, in particular the children.  It is all very well deciding to take your family with you to go and work abroad promising an educational cultural experience that can only benefit the children, but this does not always work so well in practice when it comes to schooling.
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July 30th 2015

Irish Special Assignee Relief Programme

Originally introduced in the Finance Act 2012 the Special Assignee Relief Programme (SARP) was to run for the tax years 2012, 2013 and 2014, however in the Finance Act of 2014 this has been extended to include certain individuals working in Ireland during 2015, 2016 and 2017.
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July 24th 2015

Registering for Healthcare in Spain

If you are moving to Spain it should be noted that you are not covered by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as this is for temporary visitors only.
At the end of last year Britain’s Department of Health was so concerned over Brits living in Spain without having registered properly with the correct authorities for health care that they produced a video entitled ‘Moving to Spain? Think about Healthcare!
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July 09th 2015

Netflix Expansion into Europe

Netflix has launched in Belgium and Luxembourg as of 19th September 2014 concluding a busy week where it had also launched in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. 
Netflix is the world’s biggest internet television network with around fifty million subscribers worldwide.
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July 02nd 2015

UK Delays in Announcing Successful Applicants in 14th Licensing Round for Companies Looking for Onshore Oil and Gas

In a somewhat controversial move the UK government announced on the 28th July 2014 that it was accepting applications in its 14th Landward Licensing Round. This was the first onshore oil and gas licensing round in six years. Bids for this closed on 28th October 2014 and it is reported that there were over 95 applications.
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June 25th 2015

Victory for Expats Over Personal Allowances Review

In the March 2014 budget the British Chancellor questioned whether British expats should be exempt from benefiting for the UK’s personal income tax allowance. At present every UK taxpayer has a personal allowance, which is the amount of income that can be earned before tax needs to be paid. For 2014/2015 this is set at £10,000 per person for the tax year.
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June 19th 2015

IPSE opens Freelancer Awards 2015

A nationwide competition has been launched by the Association of Independent Professional and the Self-Employed (IPSE) in the United Kingdom to find Britain’s most talented freelancers and contractors.  This is the second year that IPSE has held this competition in an effort to give self-employment in the UK a boost.
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June 05th 2015

Technical Skills Gap

There has been a substantial problem identified in recruitment with companies unable to find suitably qualified persons for technical or IT projects.  Reports have shown that the gap comes from differences in what education offers and what employers want and there have already been calls for deeper engagement between employers and education systems in order to ensure that relevant skills are being covered.

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May 28th 2015

Culture Shock

Culture shock occurs due to the disorientation that is felt when moving to another country.
As a contractor, who might regularly work in a variety of countries as part of their employment it is important to master culture shock.
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March 21st 2015

How the Swiss Labour Law and Swiss Employment Applies to Contracting

Contracting in Switzerland can be daunting if you are not familiar with the Swiss Labour Laws, however Swiss Labour Law does not impose a specific form of employment contract.
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March 21st 2015

UK Rules for Dual Contracts of Non-doms

New rules have now been set out regarding how the UK treats resident non-domiciles who receive earnings from overseas employers under dual contracts.
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March 21st 2015

Differences between PAYE Umbrella and Limited Companies

Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.  For example the umbrella solution is much simpler to use and how much you pay is based on the level of pay received. 
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December 23rd 2014

Committee Investigation into IT skills in the UK

The House of Lords has set up a Select Committee consisting of twelve members to investigate digital skills in the UK. The purpose of this committee is to make recommendations to ministers on how competitive the UK is in the area of Information communications and technology.  This is not the only examination into this area in the UK, the London Technology Week also holds a less formal private sector examination.
 
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December 08th 2014

Delays with Expat Passport Renewal

Previously overseas applications were handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices in seven different regional processing centres being Dusseldorf, Honk Kong, Madrid, Paris, Pretoria, Washington and Wellington.  This was transferred gradually over a period ranging from December 2013 to March 2014 to a central application processing centre in Liverpool.
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November 09th 2014

Contracting Income Tax Rates Infographic

Check the income tax rates for the countries below
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September 28th 2014

Ireland one of the Top countries to invest in Europe

Dublin and Limerick have been named as two of the top cities in which to invest in Europe by The Global Best to Invest Report. The same report has cited Ireland as the best Western European country to invest in.
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September 14th 2014

Contracting in Germany What you Need to Know

As Europe’s largest country Germany has the second largest market in Europe for fixed-term contractors, superseded only by the UK.  This is due in part to its range of business opportunities for international contractors.  The Government recognizes the need for a temporary and flexible labor market and subsequently promotes this.
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August 31st 2014

Irish Contractor Umbrella Companies

Many companies require you to work within a limited company structure for legal reasons.   Using an umbrella company is a perfect solution for this.  An umbrella company is already established and so there is no delay in signing contracts whilst this is set up and it will already have a bank account and be working at a level that meets the stringent requirements demanded by some firms today. 
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August 22nd 2014

Women in the field of International Contracting

There have always been less women in the field of international contracting than men, a recent survey has put this figure as less than half of that of men.  There are roughly around one million female contractors in the UK compared to more than two and a half million men.
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August 01st 2014

Changes to Belgium Social Security Calculations

Belgium has made changes to its social security collection process  meaning  that come 2015 self-employed workers in Belgium will have to calculate their Belgium social security contributions differently.
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July 07th 2014

New Tax Legislation to effect Expats working in Belgium

The Belgium Government is currently preparing new draft legislation, this will include new rules for non-residents.  This will likely come in for the assessment year 2015 meaning it will impact income for the year 2014.  This is part of the 6th Belgium state reform and is aimed at getting a degree of autonomy within the regions, though non-resident taxation will remain a federal matter.
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June 17th 2014

Reclaiming VAT as a Limited Company Contractor

If you are a limited company contractor then you are only required to register for VAT in the UK if your company is expected to have a turnover exceeding £79,000 annually, although you may do this voluntarily even if your company is not expected to make this much.  The reason to do this is because the majority of VAT you incur on business expenses is recoverable.  This includes for instance training costs and software.  VAT can only be claimed however if you have a VAT invoice showing all the correct details.
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May 19th 2014

The importance of Exchange Rates and the factors affecting them

People who do not go abroad could go their whole lives without concerning themselves with exchange rates.  Certainly this would be a simpler world, however this is not the case for contractors who work abroad.  When you work in a foreign country suddenly exchange rates become very important indeed.
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December 19th 2013

Contracting in the Oil & Gas sector

Contracting in the Oil & Gas sector is a highly qualified well paid vocation that covers virtually the whole globe when it comes to location sites. Due to the enormous scope of territories this can make it a very complex field to deal with when it comes to salary payment, taxes and paperwork with each job varying significantly in its requirements.
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November 06th 2013

Aviation Contracting

Aviation is a very general term when you look at all the employment opportunities covered by the field. To name but a few possible sectors;
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October 24th 2013

Merchant Accounts for Online Business

In this modern age more and more business is being done via the internet. In order to process credit and debit card payments you need the facilities to do so. This does not necessarily mean opening a merchant account, you can use one of the various firms that are around nowadays to assist with this such as Paypal, but this does not perhaps project the professional competent image that you would like for your business. There are also gateways to assist with this, but this is not so cost effective
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October 03rd 2013

The Demand in IT Contracting jobs

IT is an exciting diverse industry.  The first programmable computer is said to have been created in 1936, but this has evolved so much in such a short space of time so that now its uses are almost limitless and with this there is almost no industry or home that can function without one and as this dependency increases so does the competition to have the best equipment and latest programs in order compete in today’s cutth
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June 12th 2013

Foreign Nationals Contracting in the UK

Freelance contractors looking to work in the UK need to be aware of several items in order to do so.
Firstly residency – while there are new rules which have various substantive tests, including accommodation for use and individual criteria, in general as a guideline if, for the duration of your contract you spend the minority of your days in the UK then you will possibly be deemed to be non -resident for tax purposes.
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June 03rd 2013

Limosa & Contracting in Belgium

LIMOSA to give it its full title ;Landenoverschrijdend Informatiesysteem Migratie Onderzoek Sociaal Administratie, is a Belgium government initiative which was set up to prepare the country for the opening up of the labour market for workers from the new EU Member States which occurred on May 2009. It is an important consideration for those using contracting in Belgium and selecting an umbrella company.
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April 29th 2013

The UK, IR 35 & information exchange with Germany

IR35 has no country boundaries. If you are UK tax resident and are considering contracting in Germany in theory the same rules apply but it is not the only consideration.
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April 18th 2013

Contractors moving to Belgium – Healthcare considerations

Public Healthcare systems vary from country to country and in Belgium it is a mixture of public and private healthcare and the quality of care is generally excellent. The system can appear complicated at the start, especially, if you are travelling from a country such as the United Kingdom and its National Health Service. Health insurance is compulsory in Belgium, and basic cover is part of the national social security system. Everyone, whether they are an employee or self-employed, will join ei
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April 11th 2013

30% ruling 150km limit back in the news

Here is the latest news on the 30% Ruling tax concession available to foreign workers contracting in the Netherlands. Under the changes to the 30% ruling that came into effect in 2012, employees who lived with 150 kilometres of the Dutch border for more than 6 months of the previous 24 prior to taking up employment in Holland, were not eligible to apply to be treated under the 30 percent ruling, meaning that they were not able to take advantage of a significant saving in relation to their tax pa
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December 26th 2012

UK IR35 and Overseas Contracts /does it apply to you?

IR35 is commonly used to describe the  UK Tax regulation which was introduced on 6th of April 2000 and  is the British intermediary  legislation .  Its  gets its name from a press release issued by HMRC on the 23rd of September 1999 which was numbered  “ IR35’’ and you need to be aware of it , if you deal with employment agencies in the United Kingdom.
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December 15th 2012

Information about Ireland Incorporation

Ireland with its popular image hospitality and always ready to offer a hand in friendship  helps to elevate this jurisdiction into a much sought after place to establish a European presence from an offshore or international  business side there is a very also another very attractive side to Ireland .
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December 04th 2012

Cost of living and working in Switzerland

Switzerland is an expensive country and this is normally reflected in the contract rates , around 20% of the Swiss population are foreign nationals, the crime rate is very low as are attended social problems , Health care is excellent and people are required to hold health insurance. Health prices (for those who need medical insurance) is around CHF 300 per  month  -private insurance. 

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November 20th 2012

Dutch payroll compliance for Contractors

The number one question for first time UK contractors going to work in the Netherlands is usually , can I use my UK company. In the same way that the UK has IR35 , Holland has what is called Chain law or the wadi rules ,what this means to a contractor is that if their employed a Dutch company , the material employer /end client can be held liable for all Social security income Tax and VAT , that remains un paid by you.
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