Remote contract for Irish (RoI) client

**northernladuk** · 2 August 2017, 08:00

Anything here help?

https://www.google.co.uk/search?clie....0.GRtsPrh4W-o

**WTFH** · 2 August 2017, 08:00

Is the agent UK based or Irish?

**northernladyuk** · 2 August 2017, 08:24

Originally posted by Scotchpie View Post

Hello

In a week or so I'll be starting a new contract with an Irish client based in Dublin. As the contract is for remote work I will remain based in the UK working from home.

According to the UK based agent, they are happy that I use my UK Ltd but after six months require I work through a Irish Ltd. Whether they mean Irish or EU is something I have enquired about.

My question is how easy is setting up an Irish Ltd when I am not a resident of Ireland or would an Estonian e-residency be better if they only require my company to be an EU based company? The other option I suppose is to up sticks and move with my family, but with only six months to arrange everything, that's a big ask unless I go first coming home only at the weekends and my family follow later.

Thanks for any advice.
Andrew

A couple of us on CUK use Icon Accounting - Umbrella & Limited Company Providers for Irish Contractors . They are pretty good and you can set up a Ltd, use a brolly, or a hybrid termed 'Director's Umbrella', which is possibly the best option for you. Icon can talk you through it. I don't think you need to be a resident.

The question I would be asking is that if you are working remotely in the UK, where is your tax due. I would guess it's the UK, and that sounds a bit tricky if you have to use an Irish Ltd. Check with the agency that they have really thought this through that you are working remotely in the UK. They may just be applying their normal thinking of how they deal with UK based contractors.

Stek may be able to add something. I live in Ireland full-time and contract here, whereas Stek flies in weekly I think, so may have thought about it a bit more.

Edit 1: assuming you're not resident in NI, which could open up more possiblities around cross-border worker rules.

Edit 2: you don't want to be paying tax in RoI in any case (as a rule).

**Scotchpie** · 2 August 2017, 09:18

Originally posted by WTFH View Post

Is the agent UK based or Irish?

The agent is UK based while the client is in Dublin. Which does make we wonder if it is the agent requiring that I move to an Irish Ltd.

Surely as I work in the UK and have a contract with a UK agency who themselves have the contact with Dublin, it shouldn't be an issue for me.

**northernladyuk** · 2 August 2017, 09:22

Originally posted by Scotchpie View Post

The agent is UK based while the client is in Dublin. Which does make we wonder if it is the agent requiring that I move to an Irish Ltd.

Surely as I work in the UK and have a contract with a UK agency who themselves have the contact with Dublin, it shouldn't be an issue for me.

I think this is a blanket rule being incorrectly applied. There are a lot of UK based contractors physically working in Dublin, via their UK Ltd, and paying no tax in Ireland.

Could be the agent insisting and could be the client. You could just go with it and sort it out during the first six months...

**stek** · 2 August 2017, 10:03

Originally posted by northernladyuk View Post

A couple of us on CUK use Icon Accounting - Umbrella & Limited Company Providers for Irish Contractors . They are pretty good and you can set up a Ltd, use a brolly, or a hybrid termed 'Director's Umbrella', which is possibly the best option for you. Icon can talk you through it. I don't think you need to be a resident.

The question I would be asking is that if you are working remotely in the UK, where is your tax due. I would guess it's the UK, and that sounds a bit tricky if you have to use an Irish Ltd. Check with the agency that they have really thought this through that you are working remotely in the UK. They may just be applying their normal thinking of how they deal with UK based contractors.

Stek may be able to add something. I live in Ireland full-time and contract here, whereas Stek flies in weekly I think, so may have thought about it a bit more.

Edit 1: assuming you're not resident in NI, which could open up more possiblities around cross-border worker rules.

Edit 2: you don't want to be paying tax in RoI in any case (as a rule).

I actually live here too, pay Irish tax, and I use director umbrella too. Irish ltd is NOT the way to go, there is no concept of dividends here and you are taxed on all drawn income as salary.

I explored all the options and director Umbrella is the best for contractors like us.

**Scotchpie** · 2 August 2017, 17:05

Thanks for all the advice. Interestingly I just received an email from the UK agency. I really think they are the ones stipulating the six months and not the client. They now say as I will be paid in Euros I need an Irish bank account which they will pay into.

"As the work you will be carrying out is based in Ireland we will need you to set up an Irish bank account so we can pay you into this account, makes sense as you will be paid in Euros .

Also the good news is as your initial contract is 6 months( less than 183 days) you can use your UK LTD company, anything after 6 months you will need to transfer to PAYE OR Umbrella company or Irish LTD Company."

I am in Dublin for three weeks to be introduced to the client, after that I am remote working from home in the UK.

So for three weeks I need an Irish bank account? Is the agency trying to cover themselves from paying double tax or something? I do get the impression this is the first non UK contract they have negotiated.

Cheers

**WordIsBond** · 2 August 2017, 17:59

They probably have an account in Ireland that the client will pay into, and they are trying to avoid any hassles/fees/complications, keeping everything happening in Ireland.

You could probably set up a euro account with the new borderless banking with Transferwise and it would satisfy them. But if not, I'd probably just open the account. It's a hassle, but a small matter in the larger scheme of things. If you've already agreed to work for euros and take the exchange rate risk, this is just one more thing.

I'd save my fire for the Ltd Co question when/if you extend. Don't be a hassle now but raise a stink later if need be where it really counts. I don't think there is the least reason why they should balk at a UK Ltd providing services to an Irish company. Are THEY using an Irish Ltd company for this?

**TheCyclingProgrammer** · 2 August 2017, 18:07

The agency doesn't know what they are talking about and the fact they've mentioned the 183 day rule is evidence of that. You're working from the UK. The work is being performed here, regardless of where the end client is based. The place of supply for VAT purposes is also the UK, as you are invoicing a UK agency.

It's your choice if you want the contract but I'd be telling them in no uncertain terms that you do not need to and will not be working through anything other than your UK company.

Remote contract for Irish (RoI) client