Reply to: Working in Ireland

[BlasterBates]

I quite agree, but have been wondering if it would be a hurdle! Guess all developers get old eventually
Think many companies expect web devs to be under 30. And I hate it on job specs when it says "must have worked their way through the ranks" whats wrong with being a developer? In my experience it's sh1te in management with all that responsibility and not a lot more pay to show for it.

Age is not a problem. It just isn't

[TBJ]

Why should age count against you. If you have all your faculties, can get to work each day, and can still cut it as a developer then what's the problem. It's not like you are after a career with you clients.

I quite agree, but have been wondering if it would be a hurdle! Guess all developers get old eventually
Think many companies expect web devs to be under 30. And I hate it on job specs when it says "must have worked their way through the ranks" whats wrong with being a developer? In my experience it's sh1te in management with all that responsibility and not a lot more pay to show for it.

[TheDandy]

Cheers, some more good advice.

The rates are quite poor for what they expect, I have 15 years exp in web dev with ms stack and the best offer so far is €380. They say €500 on advert, but once they get you talking they go for the old I could get you a lot more interviews if you lower your rate etc.

I was contracting until about 10 years ago, then I have done 8 years permie as a hands on Head Of Development and the last two with my own little company, but am now hoping to go back contracting for the rest of my career. I will be 50 this year and still enjoy software dev and don't really want the responsibility of the senior roles. But I do wonder if the age will count against me!

Will prob stick this side of the Irish sea

Why should age count against you. If you have all your faculties, can get to work each day, and can still cut it as a developer then what's the problem. It's not like you are after a career with you clients.

[TBJ]

Cheers, some more good advice.

The rates are quite poor for what they expect, I have 15 years exp in web dev with ms stack and the best offer so far is €380. They say €500 on advert, but once they get you talking they go for the old I could get you a lot more interviews if you lower your rate etc.

I was contracting until about 10 years ago, then I have done 8 years permie as a hands on Head Of Development and the last two with my own little company, but am now hoping to go back contracting for the rest of my career. I will be 50 this year and still enjoy software dev and don't really want the responsibility of the senior roles. But I do wonder if the age will count against me!

Will prob stick this side of the Irish sea

[Old Greg]

I think I might be tempted to fly Liverpool to Dublin, despite the A55.
I used to fly Belfast to Liverpool then drove to Bodelwyddan.
Too long ago to remember the drive time, but I did it Monday to Friday so can't have been more than an hour......

No rail or Luas between Dublin airport and city, but there are coaches.
Dublin is an expensive place to stay BTW, and rates, in my experience, are low - rock bottom.
I'd look East, rather than West.

I know guys from along the A55 (ok, not as far as Anglesey) with whom I've worked in Glasgow, midlands and the NE.

+ 1 Rates are poor in Dublin and the tax regime is disadvantageous if you're following the rules. The train service East from Holyhead and Bangor looks OK.

Bangor to London: 3h 20m
Bangor to Chester: 1h 5m

Go to Dublin if you fancy it, but you'd probably be in the City of London quicker, and think of the number of Fridays you could take off with the additional money earned.

[RSoles]

I think I might be tempted to fly Liverpool to Dublin, despite the A55.
I used to fly Belfast to Liverpool then drove to Bodelwyddan.
Too long ago to remember the drive time, but I did it Monday to Friday so can't have been more than an hour......

No rail or Luas between Dublin airport and city, but there are coaches.
Dublin is an expensive place to stay BTW, and rates, in my experience, are low - rock bottom.
I'd look East, rather than West.

I know guys from along the A55 (ok, not as far as Anglesey) with whom I've worked in Glasgow, midlands and the NE.

[stek]

You may also find that the catamaran is only available for the 'summer' months.
They tend to mothball the Northern Ireland - Scotland ones betyween October and April.
Worth checking.

This is true, I did this run several times Dec to Aug last year to avoid Ryanair, the Jonathan Swift thing is only summer, and flits between Dublin Port (no easy way out without tolls, designed to trick you onto the Dublin Port Tunnel and a 35 Euro Toll, think it's cheaper now) or Dun Laoighaire (can't spell it!) which is South Dublin with is fine for Sandyford, Donnybrook etc but crossing Dublin is always slow.

The proper ships are about 3.5 hrs I think, some absolute monsters, last one I took was 1500 cars and 250 Arctics. What a shiit journey that was (I took my car) bumped off two ferries onto this one 21:05 sailing with every other bumped off passenger, eventually got to Holyhead 01:05, with the smaller ferries still waiting to dock, weather too bad, force 8 gales, boat was jumping out the water and you could hear it slapping back in. Got job I'm never sear sick. Was very steady tho, had hydroplanes or something.

Windy on the A55, several lorries on their side, got to Flint, snowed like mad, couldn't see a freaking thing, Chester got the rain back, up the pennines mega-snow, M606 into Bradford again no road, just snow, into City Centre roads just mush, did a 180 spin in my car, no traffic tho, fecking woke me up that's for sure. Home in Leeds 5:30am.

6:00am flight back Mon morn, no more ferries!

[RSoles]

You may also find that the catamaran is only available for the 'summer' months.
They tend to mothball the Northern Ireland - Scotland ones betyween October and April.
Worth checking.

[eek]

Would you do the commute weekly or daily?

I think the clue is A55 on a Friday night

[Old Greg]

Some good advice, many thanks

@Old Gred, You are correct of course, the catamaran does it in 1 hour 50 plus 1 hour to the port. So say 3 hours back to Holyhead.
Have you ever tried getting going down the A55 on a Friday after work? I don't think there is much in it between getting to Cemaes from Dublin or Manchester and there appears to be a lot more contracts in Dublin.

Would you do the commute weekly or daily?

[TBJ]

Have looked into this and from memory it's relatively easy to use UK Ltd for 1st 60 days or so that you're in Ireland.

But Anglesey is not "2 hours from Dublin". Do the door to door calculation, looking at the fast catamaran ferry times - have to arrive a bit before it leaves - and then onward transport from Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire. Surely it's easier for Manchester / Warrington / Liverpool / Chester, although perhaps Dublin is a bigger market.

irishjobs.ie is pretty good but not comprehensive. Try indeed.ie and simplyhired.ie which trawl all the sites (but not always the minute or even day the ads are published so not a perfect option).

Some good advice, many thanks

@Old Gred, You are correct of course, the catamaran does it in 1 hour 50 plus 1 hour to the port. So say 3 hours back to Holyhead.
Have you ever tried getting going down the A55 on a Friday after work? I don't think there is much in it between getting to Cemaes from Dublin or Manchester and there appears to be a lot more contracts in Dublin.

[Old Greg]

I live on Anglesey and obviously there is no local work. I have been thinking of working in Ireland specifically Dublin as is just under 2 hours on the ferry. I have a look on irishjobs and was contacted by a London agency, who said that I could not use my Ltd company in Ireland and would have to get an Irish bank account and use an Irish umbrella company!!
Is this true?

Anybody have any advice about working in Dublin?

Thanks

Have looked into this and from memory it's relatively easy to use UK Ltd for 1st 60 days or so that you're in Ireland.

But Anglesey is not "2 hours from Dublin". Do the door to door calculation, looking at the fast catamaran ferry times - have to arrive a bit before it leaves - and then onward transport from Dublin Port or Dun Laoghaire. Surely it's easier for Manchester / Warrington / Liverpool / Chester, although perhaps Dublin is a bigger market.

irishjobs.ie is pretty good but not comprehensive. Try indeed.ie and simplyhired.ie which trawl all the sites (but not always the minute or even day the ads are published so not a perfect option).

[TheDandy]

UK companies can operate in Ireland (including yours). You do however need to register with the Irish Revenue and operate PAYE for your employees working in Ireland (i.e. you). For contracts less than 183 days you can apply for an exemption from operating PAYE but you are still required to register. Not sure about the situation for longer contracts but beyond 183 days you'd be personally tax resident in Ireland anyway by that point.

I suggest you speak to an Irish accountant. UK accountants tend to be very woolly on other countries' tax systems (which is fair enough I suppose) unless you go to an international specialist.

I'd be wary of using an umbrella for a one-off contract as you'd not be able to claim travel expenses (which can be very high in Dublin) as it would constitute a permanent place of employment.

(Be interested to know what people generally do for long term non-UK contracts - i.e. 6-24 months - to be both tax compliant in the foreign state and also still being able to claim travel expenses....)

That's why he needs advice. The DTA doesn't require your limited co to operate PAYE in Ireland subject to the conditions in a number of the DTA articles. The key elements are Permanent Establishment, Employment Status, and number of days in the country. IANAL.

[supersteamer]

UK companies can operate in Ireland (including yours). You do however need to register with the Irish Revenue and operate PAYE for your employees working in Ireland (i.e. you). For contracts less than 183 days you can apply for an exemption from operating PAYE but you are still required to register. Not sure about the situation for longer contracts but beyond 183 days you'd be personally tax resident in Ireland anyway by that point.

I suggest you speak to an Irish accountant. UK accountants tend to be very woolly on other countries' tax systems (which is fair enough I suppose) unless you go to an international specialist.

I'd be wary of using an umbrella for a one-off contract as you'd not be able to claim travel expenses (which can be very high in Dublin) as it would constitute a permanent place of employment.

(Be interested to know what people generally do for long term non-UK contracts - i.e. 6-24 months - to be both tax compliant in the foreign state and also still being able to claim travel expenses....)

[Batcher]

First piece of advice is don't take legal or tax advice from an Agent. The next piece of advice is not to take legal or tax advice from a bunch of contractors. You really need specialist advice. You can start by checking out the Irish tax authority websites, the HMRC websites regarding the A1 portable document. Also read the Double Taxation Agreement between the UK and Ireland. IANAL.

+1

I worked in Dublin for a couple of months a few years ago. It all went through my Ltd as the agency was based in England so my invoices were to them. How they dealt with charging the ClientCo in Dublin I've no idea.

I do have clients in Ireland with my Plan B and as long as I put their VAT equivalent number on the invoice and let my accountant know then I don't charge VAT.