Working in Belgium via Connexion

[fatboyContractor]

NAme of the accountant

Just to clarify one thing. is the accountant you mentioned in central Brussels, has the word "land" as part of his christian name and "house" as part of his his surname, and he operates out of a first floor office near the EEC area ?

[ContractorGR]

What the f$$K ! This is now getting very serious. I never trusted Connexion for one seond they are a bunch of so$s just trying to save their own skin and will take anyone else down with them. If this is the sort of game they want to play then I think they will find there a few hard balls around in the contracting fraternity who will play similar with them.


Loads of questions:

When you say Connexion accountant you mean your normal accountant who handles a lot of Connexion people?
No, I am talking about an internal Connexion Accountant

First things is I am ot having connexion calculate anything for me, they are not briefed to so, are not qualified to do and should simply not be trusted to get it right - thats what I pay a registered Belgian accountant for.
Connexion will calulate the amount the tax has to be applied on. Not the tax itself. e.g. if you invoiced for 38000 euros while you should invoice 70000 (75%) then they will tell you that you should go to the Belgian accountant and say you want to adjust your 2007 declaration and declare 32000 euros more. Then the Accountant will calculate the tax.....consider that by doing this it means that you will pay taxes on 70000 in total for 2007 and as the additional amount we declare with this 2nd tax declaration is > 33K we will have to pay around 50% on the additional 32000 you declare
I hope it is clear

Could have been a promise could have ben anything but as we said all along how could it be that such a low figure was justified, it always stank as does the 75% figure - they simply cannot offer that as it is NOT LAW FOR GODS SAKE !!!!!!!
According to the same accountant Connexion proposed 50-50, then the BTA said 95-5 (!!!) so at the end they agreed on 75-25

Guess they have all known for ages, about splits and offshore etc, but now they need the money because of the crisis they say it cannot go on - what will happpen in effect is that some people will simply go back to Blighty or from whence they came and others will get caught, I suppose the next news will be that in fact there is a fine as well !

I think changing Manco simply will not work they will have or they will get the names and if you are around you will have to pay.

None of these clowns are very clever though - Imagine you owe 40k - you can quite simply leave Belgium go and sit on the beach somewhere for a year live off 20K ,what till the work situation picks up and then start contracting again in the UK or anywhere but here and they won`t get a dime. They had much better play softly softly at lower % in order to get people to cooperate.

In anycase very bad news.

What are your plans guys? I plan to find a tax advisor or layer specialisedin tax and ask advice.
Leaving Belgium is still an option for me although I have a good contract till the end of the year. I don't think they will start searching for us outside Belgium.
I can also pay for the 2007-2008 and sleep well (at least for the past years) and continue working in Belgiumwith another Manco.
I don't know if it is good that my name will be in the list Connexion will give in March (if I will continue with them it will be). On the other hand maybe changing manco will also look suspicious

[ContractorGR]

Just to clarify one thing. is the accountant you mentioned in central Brussels, has the word "land" as part of his christian name and "house" as part of his his surname, and he operates out of a first floor office near the EEC area ?

Yes fatboyContractor! This is the accountant suggested by Connexion. This guy will calculate the tax as he usually does.
The info I was talking about is coming from one of Connexion's internal accountant.

[fatboyContractor]

What are your plans guys? I plan to find a tax advisor or layer specialisedin tax and ask advice.

If you are with Connexion and use their normal Brussels accountant - the man who sounds like "house" then yes I think it is time for some advice.

I used a lawyer here once who looked and behaved like a rotweiler - I once had a dispute concerning unreturned deposit on a flat and it got to court - she literally ripped the other people to shreds. I am going to contact her.

[fatboyContractor]

According to the same accountant Connexion proposed 50-50, then the BTA said 95-5 (!!!) so at the end they agreed on 75-25

Yes they told me this as well, pathetic really, on the way to the gallows and they are still trying to negotiate, it`s not even negotiation really is it, more like last throw of the dice.

I would keep all emails you have from Connexion, keep them somewhere safe like a friends flat..

[drivemenuts]

has anyone talk with their appointed lawyer, Me Boeraeve?

[A Good Man]

What to do next

I'm hearing that every single client in Brussels is slashing rates, so the answer is pretty clear from my point of view.

1. Quit Connexion, after they've paid you what they owe

2. Either find another Manco or go it alone

3. When the rates fall too far for it to remain economical, pull out.

BTA gets nothing and I'm not spending money here so Belgium is worse off. Remember Primarolo and IR35? She forecast an increase in revenue of £55m. In fact, HMRC had a shortfall of £5m as it cost more to administer than the revenue brought in.

[fatboyContractor]

Yes fatboyContractor! This is the accountant suggested by Connexion. This guy will calculate the tax as he usually does.
The info I was talking about is coming from one of Connexion's internal accountant.

It`s a joke, that will have been either "solution provider Johnathan " or "Solution provider Dennis". Not ten days ago they said the deal was one month`s salary of 20 days for 2007 and the same for 2008. Then it was 31.5% of the balance between what you have already paid percentage wise and the 75% and now the full whack on the differnence, which as you correctly state can be 55%. Previously it was also via Boerava now its not.

If anyone didn`t know it then, they do now, these guys - Connexion - had no soild agreement with anyone when they rushed out that letter, they were simply involved in "painting by numbers". They are complete plonkers. It is obvious that the BTA have them by the goolies as their bargaining position is getting worse and worse, they are giving more and more ground and all they have to offer is getting the contractors to pay up more and more.

To be frank , what sort of idiot goes into the BTA and says "We`ll do you 50-50". Nutters.

Like I said higher up - wait for the penalty.

[fatboyContractor]

I'm hearing that every single client in Brussels is slashing rates, so the answer is pretty clear from my point of view.

1. Quit Connexion, after they've paid you what they owe

2. Either find another Manco or go it alone

3. When the rates fall too far for it to remain economical, pull out.

BTA gets nothing and I'm not spending money here so Belgium is worse off. Remember Primarolo and IR35? She forecast an increase in revenue of £55m. In fact, HMRC had a shortfall of £5m as it cost more to administer than the revenue brought in.

Yep spot on, like I said higher up if they made it easy they would get more. This way a lot of the single guys will just vanish, and those a little less able on their feet, like me will make a graceful exit via a channel port.

Answers. Agreed point1. Be careful point 2, Connexion will give names you can be sure of that and you could be found anyway. Point 3. It is getting to the uneconomic stage now, those that can go to the beach are probably already packing their bags.

[Belgiumcontractor]

Don't burn C without trial.

I worked with Connexion many years and have met 2 of their employees. They seem more trustworthy and more professional than the 14 other mancos in Luxembourg .

The 14 others are in the same mess, but aren't even informing their clients now it seems.

I might go for the golden list if the clearance looks real.

However. Belgium is in a big administrative mess right now. It might even fall into 2 pieces soon. If contractors argue and fight back, we might get out of this situation even cheaper. After all, Belgium's economy is short of IT expertise already.

I just hope it doesn't become front page news. It might make things worse.