Contracting UK not viable. Where then?

[DimPrawn]

You sound like a slightly brainwashed bbc reporter

d000hg is a very brainwashed

To think he can vote and breed is frankly startlingly scary.

[AtW]

d000hg is a very brainwashed

To think he can vote and breed is frankly startlingly scary.

Should be features in "Tales from the crypt"...

[d000hg]

d000hg is a very brainwashed

To think he can vote and breed is frankly startlingly scary.

I don't know if I can do both, I only tried one.

Thinking you're entitled to a lifestyle where you live in nice hotels, and earn an integer multiple of the salary of someone else doing the same job locally, is brainwashed.

Move where the work is.

[TheLordDave]

New Zealand seems a good place to go, I know a lot of people who have emigrated, be careful though as it can be hobbit forming

I think there is mordor to it than that.

[TheLordDave]

I don't know if I can do both, I only tried one.

Thinking you're entitled to a lifestyle where you live in nice hotels, and earn an integer multiple of the salary of someone else doing the same job locally, is brainwashed.

Move where the work is.

If you can afford to, due to government inflated house prices...

[PurpleGorilla]

I think there is mordor to it than that.

Need to watch out for all the Elf and Safety laws.

[d000hg]

If you can afford to, due to government inflated house prices...

If the permies can afford to live there, I think you can.

[expat]

I don't much care about the taxes, but the expenses is a killer for me: I typically work short contracts (it's the nature of the work); 3-6 months, in widely varying places in Europe. The travel and subsistence costs are very high. I can't just make the choice to go and live where the work is, in 3 months time my contract will be somewhere else.

OK, contracts in NL are good because you do local payroll and get the 30%; and in Switzerland because they will let you claim travel and subsistence on local payroll; but contracting through the Ltd Co just got a lot less well paid, if I have to pay weekly flights and hotels out of net salary.

[PurpleGorilla]

I don't much care about the taxes, but the expenses is a killer for me: I typically work short contracts (it's the nature of the work); 3-6 months, in widely varying places in Europe. The travel and subsistence costs are very high. I can't just make the choice to go and live where the work is, in 3 months time my contract will be somewhere else.

OK, contracts in NL are good because you do local payroll and get the 30%; and in Switzerland because they will let you claim travel and subsistence on local payroll; but contracting through the Ltd Co just got a lot less well paid, if I have to pay weekly flights and hotels out of net salary.

It's only out at consultation at the moment - it might not come in...

[browntractor]

Probably, but as a lifestyle choice, you can get a **** off big house, big V8 car and life it large like a footballer compared to the UK.

To buy a 5 bed house in a nice area of Sydney will cost you about 3 million dollars, or about 1.5 million quid.

Australia does have similar to IR35... 95% of Contractors in Australia do PAYG and don't have their own company.

A good rate in Australia is about 800 dollars a day, which is about 400 quid a day. You can pull about 200k Aussie a year, which is about 120k after tax
And compulsorily pension contributions. That's about 10k a month. So you better have a large deposit (maybe 1M sterling) ready to buy your 5 bed house.

In short, Australia is now expensive. Even for well paid IT contractors.