Contracting in EU via a UK agency

[Fred Bloggs]

Annoys me this, what ever happened to the supposed single market and the free movement of goods and labour? It's a scandal.

[ASB]

Annoys me this, what ever happened to the supposed single market and the free movement of goods and labour? It's a scandal.

But it is a free movement of goods and labour. The fact that taxation consequences can be complex is a simple result of the fact that there is no pan european taxation policy (thankfully in my view).

There is an argument that standardization of rates etc could be used for limited periods. But what rates and that would no doubt lead to different forms of explotation.

For 'real' large business its not really an issue. For independants it is.

Personally I spent a number of years in europe with direct clients who I just billed with no problems (save portugal withholding tax). I had a lot of interests in the uk so may or may not have been ok.

But, without exception none of them would engage me now. In some parts of europe it is a laundering offence to pay a non local company for personal services. Much like here the agency regulations prohibit payment of a non uk company for uk supplied work.