Remote Working

[NotAllThere]

Who are you claiming these expenses from? That might be true if you were running an outside IR35 LTD company in the UK. If you are via a contracting house it will depend on your engagement with them. You are overseas so dunno the complexities but a general rule of thumb is that if the role is similar to a perm role, which this is as it's a direct swap then you'll be inside so no expenses. I don't know enough to tell you exactly what your situation is but I think you might get a shock regarding the expenses.

Might need to dig in to this area a little more to be absolutely sure.

I think by "claim expenses" he may mean "claim tax deduction".

[northernladuk]

With being a contractor I am able to claim my expenses in home office, travel etc. I use a tax consultany in Cape Town who will do all the tax work for me. I am looking at a 2 year fixed term contract at which point I will retire.

Who are you claiming these expenses from? That might be true if you were running an outside IR35 LTD company in the UK. If you are via a contracting house it will depend on your engagement with them. You are overseas so dunno the complexities but a general rule of thumb is that if the role is similar to a perm role, which this is as it's a direct swap then you'll be inside so no expenses. I don't know enough to tell you exactly what your situation is but I think you might get a shock regarding the expenses.

Might need to dig in to this area a little more to be absolutely sure.

[RodRuss]

Thanks for your input on this post.

I have managed to find a fairly simple solution, that is to get a local UK contracting house to contract me to the university, taking any risk away from the university. Once I am in SA I inform HMRC that I am no longer a resident, so the UK tax and NI is nill (thanks to the dual taxation agreement) and no other issues for the contracting house, who will collect their monthly fee. I inform SARS (SA Revenue Service) that I am working as a contrator in the UK, report my earning to them and they tax me and report to the UK contracting house the tax paid. With being a contractor I am able to claim my expenses in home office, travel etc. I use a tax consultany in Cape Town who will do all the tax work for me. I am looking at a 2 year fixed term contract at which point I will retire.

[northernladuk]

I raised a flag asking for the op to get pm rights

You da man

[eek]

OPs first post so don't think they can DM

I raised a flag asking for the op to get pm rights

[northernladuk]

I am replying, I’m just late! Sorry, not the level of service I hope to offer but I have a new job and I am double busy!

OP, if you want to arrange to have a chat I will be happy to try to help!

OPs first post so don't think they can DM

[Sue B]

You've got to stand in front of a mirror and say it three times before she will put her tea down and appear.

I am replying, I’m just late! Sorry, not the level of service I hope to offer but I have a new job and I am double busy!

OP, if you want to arrange to have a chat I will be happy to try to help!

[northernladuk]

Sue B

You've got to stand in front of a mirror and say it three times before she will put her tea down and appear.

[jmo21]

Not much more to say than this really. Some places it will be easier than others.

Whatever is possible it's what your HR, legal and security are willing to accomodate. Unless they are experienced in this situation there are a quite a few things they are going to have to get their head around. How long will this arrangement be for?

I'd say it maybe depends on the culture as well. Stuffy management, maybe not want remote working at all, setting precedent etc. A bit backwards in current times, but probably not uncommon too.

[jamesbrown]

Sue B

[northernladuk]

BTW this is a contractor forum, non of us (well the failed contractors here might be) are permanent so really the wrong place to post. We'll be able to take a stab but you might want to check if there are any permanent or employment type forums around.

[northernladuk]

First question. Is this short term, long term or permanent? Duration will be a big part of their decision I reckon.

Whatever is possible it's what your HR, legal and security are willing to accomodate. Unless they are experienced in this situation there are a quite a few things they are going to have to get their head around. How long will this arrangement be for?

Some of the issues off the top of my head.

I'd imagine your contract is bound my UK law but you'll be living and working in SA. If they don't have people employed in other countries they might have to look in to this.
There is the tax as you say. Internation tax is rarely simple. It's what they are willing to do but you might want to contact a tax expert so you can present them options. Might even be worth looking at international umbrellas but whatever the solution it's going to be a headache for them.
Travelling back once a month. I've done long distance travel with two clients and they stipulate business class for over six hours. If you get ill due to the long haul flights it could come back on the university as it is their requirement you are back in the UK. You need to check with their risk teams that this amount of travelling will work.
There is the data going out of the UK so their security may have issues with this, particularly if you are based in SA not just travelling.
What about insurances that are part of your package? Life insurance, death in service or whatever? Will they even be valid anymore?
Your employment is at risk surely as well. Might be worth tapping up a decent employment lawyer and make sure whatever the Uni does is legal. I'd imagine HR will just want to off load you instead of go through all this so might be worth making sure you are prepped and that they know you'll take no crap.

I don't know what universities are like but all this would make a medium sized client's head spin.

IMO you need to get some meetings in with their HR and get them to plot out the route to success. Work with you on the problems they have so you can see if you can go source expert advice to try bend them round. I think the tax is the least of your problems and the one that is probably the easiest to get round.

[RodRuss]

I am looking for advice. I currently work full time at a University in the UK. I have been advised by my doctor to take my wife back home to South Africa, due to her health. My IT director would like to keep me on and have me work remote, but the university People Team (HR) have all sorts of issues, mostly about tax. I would like to contract and be paid into my UK bank account, and as I understand it, there is a dual taxation agreement between the UK and SA, which means if I live in South Africa, I will be taxed there, and not be liable for tax or NI in the UK. I plan to return to the UK for one week a month to do any face-to-face meeting, at my own expense, part of which I can claim back against tax in SA. Is there anyone who can advise me on what the actual situation might be like or is it as simple as it appears.