UK contractor with Swiss client - move to Germany

[fineman]

Hi
Looking for some help to clear through the jungle of information. I'm a Brit, co-founder/co-owner of a Swiss IT startup. I supply my services to the Swiss company as a contractor in the UK through my own Ltd company here, working entirely from home. So far so good. My wife is German. We plan to move to Germany. So - how should I structure my affairs to continue to work for my company in Switzerland? The options I see are 1) Move to Germany but change nothing - invoice through UK company, pay UK tax. Is this an option if UK remains in EU? If not? 2) Register as Freelancer in Germany - is that possible if I only have a single client? 3)Some complex permutation of being registered as living in Switzerland - I've heard many do this but I can't get my head round it!

Then there is the additional complication of health insurance (I'm over 50 with some prexisting conditions)

Happy for any pointers in the right direction - at the moment I'm far from clear as to the right way forward

[BlasterBates]

You need to set yourself up as a "Freiberufler" in Germany. If you did want to use your Ltd it would have to be registered in Germany and pay exclusively German tax, but there is no advantage, it is simply complicated.

Keeping your UK company and paying tax through it is illegal as you will be working from home in Germany.

In Germany you simply need to register for a tax code, do this via a local accountant, no need for a company. Since you are only working for one company this may mean the local authorities expect you to pay pension contributions as if you were an employee. I would take advice from your accountant.

[fineman]

Thanks - I had heard that it wasn't always clear if one could become 'Freiberufler' depending upon what you are qualified in and what you are working as - but I think IT should be OK being a pure service? My degree is not in IT directly, but 'Physics of IT' which should be close enough!

[BlasterBates]

Thanks - I had heard that it wasn't always clear if one could become 'Freiberufler' depending upon what you are qualified in and what you are working as - but I think IT should be OK being a pure service? My degree is not in IT directly, but 'Physics of IT' which should be close enough!

Anything professional is a "freiberufler". Anything of more practical nature or working as a technician wouldn't be. It has to be a comparable to being an Engineer, i.e. you are designing the software as well.