Working in Belgium via Connexion

[fatboyContractor]

Boeraeve (or whatever his name is) has made it clear that they got fined for the previous years as some sort of fixed fee. It is not specifically seen as a fine but as the back tax owed as such by contractors (pre 2007). He also said that they are trying to get this to be a fixed fee for 2007/8. The thought then follows that "if" they do manage to get these two fiscal years (the years for which they are asking you contractors to pay the tax back for) to a fixed fee and the amount of money they recoup from you all is MORE than the fixed fee then you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be another mansion in Cape Town.

Under no circumstances should you pay that money back to them, if you have to pay it then you should use the lawyer or an intermediary under some form of Escrow set-up.

Hi Fatterboy,

Can you be clearer about what you know or what Boerava has actually said, did you actually visit him ?

Are you really saying that Connexion are trying to claw the moeny back they have been fined !? or have I go that wrong ?

Fatboy

[fatboyContractor]

Actually it's not.

Amazing as it might seem, companies offering 100% legit foreign (PAYE equivilent) payroll service for one person, look to charge you 5% of turnover. They know that you don't have much other choice.

tim

Tim

For what they do, which is not payroll, just taking money from one hand passing it through the other and on to the end user, IMHO a more realistic commission or fair rate would be between 1% and 2%, even that is high.

They use the same technique in reverse as offshore banks, who pay you very little interest on your money in the knowledge that you will accept a bad rate on bent money which should have been taxed and hasn't been.

Coonnexion have the same captive audience and know people will accept 5% because they are making the profit via another "method".

Fatboy

[Fatterboy]

This is better offline, can you PM me somehow?

In any case whatsoever, I am saying it would not be prudent to return any money to them at all. I would suggest you have no guarantee that it would get to the relevant party.

If you read backwards on here and see all the confusion and conflicting stories that CNX have given then you have to ask who really knows in the organisation except for the very top person (and that is not Jason at all)(straw man for someone above).

I would happily tell you all I know but not on here

<admin note>I have enabled PM use on your account. If you are a new user and want PM access then use the contact form to let me know. We do not allow PM use to new users to stop spam. Also I would be wary of what you post on this thread as I am sure the authorities in question will read here to see what you are all thinking...</admin note>

Hi Fatterboy,

Can you be clearer about what you know or what Boerava has actually said, did you actually visit him ?

Are you really saying that Connexion are trying to claw the moeny back they have been fined !? or have I go that wrong ?

Fatboy

[tim123]

Tim

For what they do, which is not payroll, just taking money from one hand passing it through the other and on to the end user, IMHO a more realistic commission or fair rate would be between 1% and 2%, even that is high.

They use the same technique in reverse as offshore banks, who pay you very little interest on your money in the knowledge that you will accept a bad rate on bent money which should have been taxed and hasn't been.

Coonnexion have the same captive audience and know people will accept 5% because they are making the profit via another "method".

Fatboy

I agree with you as to what is fair, but unfortunately, in many European countries there is no need for the locals to ever need a payroll company. So as they are only market to "foreigners" they charge a huge premium for "understanding the local system".

Take a look. Just see if you can find a foreign PAYE payroll service for 1 or 2%. I bet you can't.

tim

[A Good Man]

Ex-Connexion

I've heard a rumour that other CMC's won't touch ex-connexion with a barge-pole; has anyone else heard this? Anyone confirm?

[Pepso]

Hi,
I do not confirm. I have already a proposal from two mancos.
We should not transform this story in a witch-hunt...

[ContractorGR]

I've heard a rumour that other CMC's won't touch ex-connexion with a barge-pole; has anyone else heard this? Anyone confirm?

I don't know where you've heard that from but I also confirm there is no problem. Most of them would be happy to have ex-connexion guys on board

[Fatterboy]

Think before you leap - Are you tainted in BE?

All, be prudent. If you were running a mgmt company and your market had an influx of nearly 400 people whom were all changing mgmt company as their current one had been investigated, found gulity and had "most likely" divulged the names of this influx to the the relevant authority, would you take them onboard?

Every mgmt co should think about this very carefully and you should even pose this question to the new co yourselves! If they do not give a satisfactory and credible reason then you should be suspicious. Similarly, if you were with one mgmt co and then they took on 200 new ctrs that had been investigated, that would compromise you and all current ctrs on the books.

Greed is dangerous, nobody is immune from investigation, no mgmt co is immune and BTA just might be watching where you go next!

Please consider also that "IF" you have a VAT number in Belgium and your mgmt co is not actually in Belgium then it is relatively easy to find your names............. I wont specify exactly how but these things should be considered

I don't know where you've heard that from but I also confirm there is no problem. Most of them would be happy to have ex-connexion guys on board

[ContractorGR]

All, be prudent. If you were running a mgmt company and your market had an influx of nearly 400 people whom were all changing mgmt company as their current one had been investigated, found gulity and had "most likely" divulged the names of this influx to the the relevant authority, would you take them onboard?

Every mgmt co should think about this very carefully and you should even pose this question to the new co yourselves! If they do not give a satisfactory and credible reason then you should be suspicious. Similarly, if you were with one mgmt co and then they took on 200 new ctrs that had been investigated, that would compromise you and all current ctrs on the books.

Greed is dangerous, nobody is immune from investigation, no mgmt co is immune and BTA just might be watching where you go next!

Please consider also that "IF" you have a VAT number in Belgium and your mgmt co is not actually in Belgium then it is relatively easy to find your names............. I wont specify exactly how but these things should be considered

I think we are underestimating the inteligence of the Tax Authorities of all countries. Do you think they don;t know what is happening? They know very well. Do you think they were waiting for Connexion to be cought in order to find out? I know people who work in the tax authoirities of my home country. They do know!! What they can do is to put an eye on you and try to find something you are doing in their country which proves what is going on. They have lists with almost most of the Management Companies and they know what they are doing. I also have friends running their own management company in some kind of fiscal paradise.....they receive letters from time to time from the various authorities of the various countries they have worked in...they ignore them.....they are not obliged to provide information about their clients (in this case the client is themselves). Now if the German or the Italian tax authorities can go to British Virgin Islands and ask info I am afraid they will find a closed door

[ContractorGR]

Please consider also that "IF" you have a VAT number in Belgium and your mgmt co is not actually in Belgium then it is relatively easy to find your names............. I wont specify exactly how but these things should be considered

Then whoever invoices directly his UK agency (90% of the agencies are coming from UK...just give a look at jobserve) must also be investigated....
Can you tell me the difference between an agency that gets 30% of what the end client pays and a ManCo that gets 40%? I happen to see by mistake the invoice from the end client towards my UK agency and I found out they invoice almost 35% higher than my daily rate (just for example those are not the exact figures...they were invoicing 700 giving 450 to me!!)
Do you think the Belgian government gets anything from that 35%???
The UK agency should pay taxes in UK for that 35%
If the agency was in BVI they should pay 4% taxes on that 35% because local taxation is 4%. Is this illegal?