Reply to: Help - Why is Belgium so complicated!?

[m0n1k3r]

Bottom line, OP assumed that Belgium has the same way of working as the UK...

It sort of is. If you come to the UK to work as a foreign contractor, the client is forced to operate PAYE (even without an agency in between) unless the foreign contractor sets up a UK company. Same for foreign contractors working in Belgium.

[m0n1k3r]

The Social Security side vs NI is still unclear as I type.

Order an A1 certificate from HMRC to evidence that you are covered by UK NI. There should then be no social security contributions due in Belgium for up to 2 years (on average).

[stek]

After 180 days in a calendar year everybody needs to pay taxes, so what are you guys problem?

Explain?

[Bee]

After 180 days in a calendar year everybody needs to pay taxes, so what are you guys problem?

[b r]

Bottom line, OP assumed that Belgium has the same way of working as the UK...

I've worked across the world and pretty much every country has a different way of working (greater/lessor extent), especially when in a B2B environment.

[BigRed]

Working on a visit visa or Schengen visa is an absolute no-no. USA a bit more lax.

Yes, Trump is well known for his laissez faire attitude.

[stek]

Working on a visit visa or Schengen visa is an absolute no-no. USA a bit more lax.

[Drei]

and this is how it is going to be after Brexit

Visitor visa is about 3 to 6 months correct? Still business to business charges. I really think it is up to the business how they want to get around stuff like that. Went to the US on a "business trip" for training and working there for over a month, 6 months visa, colleagues from India couldn't join due to visa complications, other colleagues from Philippines did. Last permanent role I did before going contracting.

If the business is conducted by the two companies, contract clearly set out, I am not sure that it matters if you go there on a visitor visa and do some work for them. It would matter if you went there, got paid there as an individual.

[Eirikur]

OP describes Business to Business arrangements and has nothing to do with his personal freedom of work and movement inside the EU. Now imagine if OP had to add the mess of securing a Visa and sponsorship for said visa to the equation. Most likely result would have been instant drop of his application by the Client, no one likes hassle.

and this is how it is going to be after Brexit

[sal]

So why do people want to stay in the EU if such a simple process is massively overcomplicated? Doesn't sound like freedom of work and movement to me just when it comes to everyone else coming to the UK.

OP describes Business to Business arrangements and has nothing to do with his personal freedom of work and movement inside the EU. Now imagine if OP had to add the mess of securing a Visa and sponsorship for said visa to the equation. Most likely result would have been instant drop of his application by the Client, no one likes hassle.

[WTFH]

So why do people want to stay in the EU if such a simple process is massively overcomplicated? Doesn't sound like freedom of work and movement to me just when it comes to everyone else coming to the UK.

No, it's very straightforward. The OP made it complicated by only telling half a story and trying to do something the client didn't want.
There is freedom of work and movement for Belgium, unfortunately you have believed the lies and spin of the EDL/BNP/UKIP etc.

[northernladyuk]

So why do people want to stay in the EU if such a simple process is massively overcomplicated? Doesn't sound like freedom of work and movement to me just when it comes to everyone else coming to the UK.

Try taking a contract in the USA.

[Drei]

So why do people want to stay in the EU if such a simple process is massively overcomplicated? Doesn't sound like freedom of work and movement to me just when it comes to everyone else coming to the UK.

[B34ker]

+ we get told half a story, on many occasions

Thanks MrMarkyMark and SueEllen. HMRC view is pay tax in local country and claim back through Foreign Tax Credit Relief on the uk self assessment, I'm ok with that. In the case of agency yes they got nervous as some of the work, the majority, would be done in Belgium. The biggest impact by far through all of this is the fact I will be unable to use the Ltd Co benefits in this country to best effect, I'm unsure what that means to dividend payments and largely have to pay the Belgian equivalent of PAYE on all the earnings - I am still however awaiting the proposition from the management company that sets out what my rate of tax is likely to be. That's just the tax! The Social Security side vs NI is still unclear as I type. Anybody any idea what the rate of tax would likely be? As this seems to me to be the holy grail of wading through the complexities.

Last thing I want to do is cheese off HMRC or their Belgian counterparts, so like I say, I'll operate within their view of the parameters but I'll not fall about laughing if the rate of tax & social security between the two countries overall comes out around 70%!

I'm actually looking forward to sending a post with the final outcome of all of this which I hope will be this week.

[MrMarkyMark]

I think the OP was researching this and saw that he could do it but the client wouldn't let him. The fact the client is refusing to do it this way indicates there is some tax issues which the OP isn't aware off.

+ we get told half a story, on many occasions