Advice needed on international project day rate

[jameslmorgan]

Oh well, ultimately that sounds like a win to me!

That's what you want, really. Do all the productive work over here and leave the work over there to non-productive work, like face-to-face meetings.

BTW, thanks for the update - always interesting to hear back!

Yes, I think it could be turned into a win too. Would mean a max of 2-3 of visits to NYC, rather than 'commuting' there, and for meetings and non-productive work.

No problem with update, appreciate the feedback on this thread.

[redgiant]

Yes, I think it could be turned into a win too. Would mean a max of 2-3 of visits to NYC, rather than 'commuting' there, and for meetings and non-productive work.

No problem with update, appreciate the feedback on this thread.

Sounds like the client had a discussion internally with their legal team and came to a similar conclusion to what was discussed here previously.

I'm glad that this contract is moving forward for you now.

[highlandspring]

Rate

Suggest charging £750 per day, that makes it more worthwhile. It will be tough on you physically after a while if you travel back often, tired over weekends etc it takes me a few days to recover from a long haul trip.

[jameslmorgan]

Sounds like the client had a discussion internally with their legal team and came to a similar conclusion to what was discussed here previously.

I'm glad that this contract is moving forward for you now.

Yes it does and my client realised my status was quite different to hers and the rest of the team who are employees of the large corporate.

I'm now looking at ways we can work but the project will be much shorter and less involved for me as I can't be in NYC every week for 5 months.

[WordIsBond]

Thanks for letting us know, it's been an interesting one.

Re: expenses on your NY trips, I'm using the worldwide subsistence rates. Discussion here: https://www.contractoruk.com/forums/...nce-rates.html

Obviously, if your client is arranging / paying for everything, it's not relevant.

MyCo charges my NY clients a flat fee for these trips. I book hotel and pay expenses personally, and have MyCo pay me the scale rates. If your tastes are more expensive than the scale rates, then have YourCo pay expenses directly, but if less than the scale rates, pay it personally and collect the scale rates.

I bill my clients more than the scale rates for a NY trip (I expect to be paid something for the travel time / jet lag, too), and pay less for hotel and food than the scale rates, so I do pretty well out of it. Getting a little old to enjoy the trip as much as I used to, but the money is good.

[jameslmorgan]

Thanks for letting us know, it's been an interesting one.

Re: expenses on your NY trips, I'm using the worldwide subsistence rates. Discussion here: https://www.contractoruk.com/forums/...nce-rates.html

Obviously, if your client is arranging / paying for everything, it's not relevant.

MyCo charges my NY clients a flat fee for these trips. I book hotel and pay expenses personally, and have MyCo pay me the scale rates. If your tastes are more expensive than the scale rates, then have YourCo pay expenses directly, but if less than the scale rates, pay it personally and collect the scale rates.

I bill my clients more than the scale rates for a NY trip (I expect to be paid something for the travel time / jet lag, too), and pay less for hotel and food than the scale rates, so I do pretty well out of it. Getting a little old to enjoy the trip as much as I used to, but the money is good.

Useful input thanks. So did you mean you charge a higher day rate for days when in NYC vs UK? I'm considering my usual day rate of £500 for UK time and £650 or £700 for NYC meetings days. Like you I would prefer to be compensated for travel/jet lag.

[darmstadt]

Useful input thanks. So did you mean you charge a higher day rate for days when in NYC vs UK? I'm considering my usual day rate of £500 for UK time and £650 or £700 for NYC meetings days. Like you I would prefer to be compensated for travel/jet lag.

I charge my standard hourly rate and the customer pays for everything else, hotel, Über and limo service, business class flights, other expenses and also get a per diem of around a couple hundred dollars per day

[WordIsBond]

Useful input thanks. So did you mean you charge a higher day rate for days when in NYC vs UK? I'm considering my usual day rate of £500 for UK time and £650 or £700 for NYC meetings days. Like you I would prefer to be compensated for travel/jet lag.

Because of the nature of my business, I use an hourly rate, not a day rate. I charge exactly the same hourly rate in NYC for meetings / demos / project delivery as I charge sitting in my study at home.

But if the client wants me to come to NY, they pay MyCo $4000 for the trip, in addition to any billable hours whilst there. MyCo pays the airfare. Usually fly economy out, might upgrade to business coming back so I can sleep. Can usually do something on the plane on the way out which I can bill to one client or another, so the flight to NY isn't a total loss. Usually don't try to work on the return flight.

I pay the hotel and food and MyCo pays me the scale rate of $318.5 (24 hour plus room) per day, plus £10 for incidentals per night. I usually get a decent place and decent meals for less than $200.

I charge $5000 for Chicago trips, it's a little further, a little longer flight, and I don't like Chicago. I hate flying to LA, I charge $7500 for that. Only had to do that once, they schedule me to come to NY when they'll be in NY too.

Not saying you should do comparably, what I do works for me and my clients. I was just suggesting that you might be better off if you pay expenses yourself and have YourCo pay you the scale rates, rather than having YourCo pay the expenses.

[jamesbrown]

What you bill your client is between you and your client. What you claim in expenses from YourCo is between you, YourCo, and HMRC. On the former, you are constrained only by what you can agree with your client. On the latter, you are constrained by law. I do something similar to WiB, unless it's a fixed price gig, and then it has been factored upfront.

[jameslmorgan]

Great advice again thanks all. Will keep the thread updated as this moves forward. Project now starts early October so has slipped a month on start date at client side.