Agency wants to hire me not my company....is this usual?

[GoneRoaming]

Hello,

I have a contract about to start in Switzerland. The client will only go through an agency and the agency is saying that their contract with the client only allows them to sign me on as an individual not as a company.

Is this usual and if this is the case is there a way to still claim expenses? I was hoping to write off a lot of the travel and living expenses.

Thank you for your help,

Danny

[cojak]

Yes, this is usual for Switzerland. Read up on your obligations as if you get it wrong the authorities can kick you out so fast your feet won't touch the ground.

[GoneRoaming]

Yes, this is usual for Switzerland. Read up on your obligations as if you get it wrong the authorities can kick you out so fast your feet won't touch the ground.

ah that's good to know. So doing it this way removes the stress from the customer that I will screw things up?

[jmo21]

Is this usual and if this is the case is there a way to still claim expenses? I was hoping to effectively save 20% of the travel and living expenses by expensing them

Thank you for your help,

Danny

Ftfy

[NotAllThere]

Hello,

I have a contract about to start in Switzerland. The client will only go through an agency and the agency is saying that their contract with the client only allows them to sign me on as an individual not as a company...

The agency is probably lying, since the client is very unlikely to give a toss - you're not their problem. However it makes no difference as you almost certainly cannot contract through your UK company.

Depending who you are contracting through, the agency may pay expenses (out of your fee of course, but essentially without tax). If your agency is tell porkies about the contract (motivation: laziness), then probably they're one of the one's that cannot be bothered to deal with expenses.

(I contract in Switzerland through my own Swiss company).

If you have a long enough contract that you're tax resident in Switzerland, you may be able to claim expenses through your tax return.

[GoneRoaming]

Taxes

Thank you everyone.

What I was hoping was that I could be employed through my company and pay Swiss taxes. On returning to the UK I could claim back my taxes from Switzerland and write off my travel/ living expenses whilst I was in Switzerland thereby reducing my tax bill in the UK.

I am new to contracting so forgive me if this is totally unrealistic.

Danny

[GoneRoaming]

Thank you but what is Ftfy?

Ftfy

Thank you jmo21....but what does Ftfy mean?


Sorry if I should know....From your post I am guessing that you are saying that even being employed as an individual rather than as a company I can write of 20% of my expenses to HMRC?

Thank you for your help,

Danny

[CheeseSlice]

"fixed that for you"

as in, that's how it should read

[GoneRoaming]

Thank you

"fixed that for you"

as in, that's how it should read

Ah ... got it

Thank you both