Reply to: rates in Brussels ?

[Rantor]

Depending upon your exact circumstances you could become resident in both countries (and domiciled in either). This tends to complicate things

Indeed, I know some people who play on that particular grey area (dodgy finacial adviser types) to their advantage and I have a belgoan mate who got royally screwed in a double taxation scenario working in holland.

There are also loads of people who move bewenn european countries and just don't register with the local authorities and continue to use whatever british entity they work thorugh. Certainly, that is an easy option and I know one guy who was doing that for over a year but if you get challenged you will get taxed and charged the equivalent of NI on all income. Since social and income taxes are much higher in BE, this makes being IR35 caught seem like a bargain.

[ASB]

Yes, you are taxed as a self-employed local - nothing to do with british tax authorities, ir35 etc. If you set this up correctly it can be very interesting.

Depending upon your exact circumstances you could become resident in both countries (and domiciled in either). This tends to complicate things

[Rantor]

I also understand that no matter where the management conmpany is, you gonna get taxed according to the local tax regime where u are domiciled.

Yes, you are taxed as a self-employed local - nothing to do with british tax authorities, ir35 etc. If you set this up correctly it can be very interesting.

[2uk]

It is a common way to work. Register as self-employed (an independent in local parlance) but have your contracts run through a management company, usually in luxembour or some other low-reg eu country.


Well worth looking in to

Well I understand that under an Umbrella u are a PAYE so this cannot be compared to an Ltd doing a contract outside of IR35.

I also understand that no matter where the management conmpany is, you gonna get taxed according to the local tax regime where u are domiciled.

[Rantor]

what do you guys mean by management companies ? Do you mean umbrella ones ?

It is a common way to work. Register as self-employed (an independent in local parlance) but have your contracts run through a management company, usually in luxembour or some other low-reg eu country.

A bit of jiggery-pokery ensues that can save quite a few quid and keeps things legal (does not work for holland though!)

On the pcg site there is a guide to this sort of stuff.

Well worth looking in to

[2uk]

what do you guys mean by management companies ? Do you mean umbrella ones ?

[Joe Black]

Rates in Brussels seem to be a lot higher than in France and indeed the Netherlands.

260 sterling is roughly 390 euros which seems a bit on the low side. I have done a lot of work for a eBanking sware house here with lots of PKI security stuff and the rate for Siebel work was over 700. I know loadrunner testers here getting similar.

Brussels is cheaper than London or Paris for sure but it ain't that cheap.

If you are here for over six months, I would second LG's advice re. mgmt companies.

Actually found the rates I've been offered in the Netherlands at times to be better, but travelling that far hasn't appealed just yet. Getting into Zaventem each day is enough for me at the moment.

Overall think it's a hard call, depends on the systems you use, different countries, different markets/demand etc. Got paid very well in London, working for nothing but well known blue-chip multinationals, financial sector and so forth, but sometimes find people working on stuff which would be considered low-rate there getting a premium here. Germany (Frankfurt), Switzerland, Luxembourg with my background it's seems the opposite.

Then again after learning from my first contract back here that the agent was charging a 35% mark-up, you should definately take what the agent says with a pinch of salt and try to do some research.

[2uk]

You're setting your rates low for a PKI role, unless it's Windows Certificate Services, which isn't PKI, at least not in my book...

I hope It is a Windows Certificate Role , and I dont know how is that dragging the price down. I haven't worked with other PKIs but MS CAs don't lack any functionality. Also the MS CA is the only CA integrated with Active Directory , providing automated cert management for multiple pcs/users.

[2uk]

Thanks Guys, I will try to increase the rate if they contact me again.

[darmstadt]

I've just asked for €80 per hour as I don't do daily rates and they poo'ed themselves.

[ratewhore]

Hey Lone , you got quouted in one of the articles at the home page.

Its Windows Security/ PKI etc. It got advertised at jobserve and I applied/got contacted.

I am targeting at least 320 GBP / day for UK. but this position is in Brussels and I thought 260 May be acceptable as the costs might be lower.

One question. If you got a contract outside the UK do you rather use your exisisting UK ltd or not ( or it totaly depends and the accountant needs to be consulted ) ?

You're setting your rates low for a PKI role, unless it's Windows Certificate Services, which isn't PKI, at least not in my book...

[tim123]

An Agent is advertising 260 GBP/day for a 6 month role in Brussels. Is this rate ok for Belgium ?

45 Euro an hour. Not for my skill set it isn't, and I would seem to be at the low end in the UK.

tim

[ChimpMaster]

Depends on what you do, but a colleague of mine got called about a contract in Brussels paying 400 Euros / day. He told the agent he wanted 800, the agent said OK!

[Rantor]

I do not know the rate for what you do, but Brussels is not the cheapest place to live. Better than London prices mind. The presence of the EU keeps costs up unless you are willing to live in the slums.
You can use your UK limited, but if you become tax resident then the Ltd. becomes a burdon you don't need.
Seek a decent management company and accountant (I can give you contacts for mine if you PM me).

Others may have different/better answers. A number of members of this board are in Brussels.

Rates in Brussels seem to be a lot higher than in France and indeed the Netherlands.

260 sterling is roughly 390 euros which seems a bit on the low side. I have done a lot of work for a eBanking sware house here with lots of PKI security stuff and the rate for Siebel work was over 700. I know loadrunner testers here getting similar.

Brussels is cheaper than London or Paris for sure but it ain't that cheap.

If you are here for over six months, I would second LG's advice re. mgmt companies.

[The Lone Gunman]

Hey Lone , you got quouted in one of the articles at the home page.

Its Windows Security/ PKI etc. It got advertised at jobserve and I applied/got contacted.

I am targeting at least 320 GBP / day for UK. but this position is in Brussels and I thought 260 May be acceptable as the costs might be lower.

One question. If you got a contract outside the UK do you rather use your exisisting UK ltd or not ( or it totaly depends and the accountant needs to be consulted ) ?

I do not know the rate for what you do, but Brussels is not the cheapest place to live. Better than London prices mind. The presence of the EU keeps costs up unless you are willing to live in the slums.
You can use your UK limited, but if you become tax resident then the Ltd. becomes a burdon you don't need.
Seek a decent management company and accountant (I can give you contacts for mine if you PM me).

Others may have different/better answers. A number of members of this board are in Brussels.