Moving Abroad to be in Same Time Zone as Client

**SueEllen** · 9 June 2016, 07:37

Is the move permanent?

**LondonManc** · 9 June 2016, 07:42

You won't get sponsorship as a contractor so the visa may be an issue.

**psychocandy** · 9 June 2016, 08:11

Seems a bit drastic as a contractor. What happens when the next client is back home?

I won't even move from Wales to England to be closer to my clients. (That is a bit much to expect mind).

**northernladuk** · 9 June 2016, 08:14

Originally posted by trebor123 View Post

Hi,

I am a contractor(sole member and Directory of Ltd co.) with a single client based in the Pacific time zone. I have been partly working their hours the past year but have recently decided to relocate to their time zone so as to be able to work with the client more effectively.

My question is, whether I can claim relocation expenses? As you may imagine, I will be moving country which further complicates things.

Anyone have any tips?

Thanks!

Riiiiiiight.. Of course you are. We get this question quite a lot but most are a bit more honest about it.

**Cirrus** · 9 June 2016, 09:19

This is a version of the more interesting question of what happens when all the Australasian contractors return home? Do they do final scrupulous accounts or do they take all the cash and give a tulip?

**Willapp** · 9 June 2016, 09:19

Yes don't forget you will probably need some kind of Visa depending on which country we are talking about. A tourist Visa will not allow you to do work and to get a working Visa you most likely need sponsorship which you aren't going to get as the owner of your own Ltd company since you aren't employed by the foreign client.

Regardless I think the short answer is no - these sort of expenses are only claimable if you could legitimately say that the travel or relocation is wholly necessary for the business, i.e. you can't work remotely.

**Fred Bloggs** · 9 June 2016, 09:31

What's to stop you hiring a villa and sitting by the pool working on the laptop? As far as I can see, nothing? Couldn't really claim for it but it would beat sitting at home in the UK.

**LondonManc** · 9 June 2016, 09:33

If you can rent something in that timezone and balance that off by renting out your place here, would that be worth looking at?

As I've said, you won't get a visa because of the sponsorship issue; consider internet connection speeds and reliability of your intended destination too.

**trebor123** · 9 June 2016, 10:09

I already have a visa for the country I'm moving to so that's not an issue. If this client relationship ends, I would likely continue as a contractor out there.

Consensus seems to be no? I can certainly do the work remotely from the UK but it has not been ideal working basically 4pm -2am.

Moving Abroad to be in Same Time Zone as Client