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Client wants me to go abroad (India) and change my limited company

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    Client wants me to go abroad (India) and change my limited company

    Hello,

    This forum has helped me a lot over the past couple of years..thanks to all veterans out here !

    Now, I'm in a big fix and just cannot find any answer anywhere, have spoken with multiple accountants - but many are clueless.

    I have a UK based Limited Company and have been working for a client for the past two years in the UK. The client now wants me to go abroad - to India..for more than a year. They are also asking me to set up a limited company in India and then Invoice them via that company. And also to start paying local taxes in that country.
    This looked fine for a start, until I noticed it's a pain to open a company there for a foreigner, and taxes are hugee! both personal tax and corporation tax.
    For my personal taxes - I think I have found that I need to do P85 and stop paying UK taxes. Though I will have some income in the UK (Interest from banks, possible rental income). Don't know how to deal with that..

    For company taxes,
    I have been suggested to actually open a company in a nearby friendly jurisdiction, like Singapore or Dubai, and then invoice the client from there. The Singapore company would pay taxes in Singapore, and have me as an employee working out of India. I would pay personal tax in India then. Tax wise, this works good as I saw that both Singapore and Dubai have lower taxes. But this is feasible/ a good practice? I could not find much documentation online about it. Also, my client's finance team is in a fix, and are unable to decide if they could start paying my Singapore company. They are very sceptical and would almost say NO, but are unable to explain any reason, or recommend alternative.

    The other alternative doing round in my head is that I keep invoice the client using my UK company, while inturn become an offshore employee of the firm. Will that even work - considering as a director of this UK company, I'm telling HMRC that I'm not going to be in the UK anymore..

    My last option I think could be that I open a Singapore company that contracts with my UK firm, and the UK firm continues to charge my client. I would then be an employee of the Singapore firm. But this would be just too complicated I think, and taxes - god save me if I have to do it at UK, Singapore and India..

    Please can someone advise on what could be a possible arrangement.

    #2
    Hello coolestchip,
    Welcome to ContractorUK. Be careful, there are a few unscrupulous companies out there who will tell you how to set up a company in India and pay very little tax while claiming to be working for a UK client. These companies should be avoided like the plague.


    When will you be starting to work in India?
    …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

    Comment


      #3
      It has already begin, about a couple of months into it now.
      Thanks for the advise on such companies, I really don't intend to do anything that upsets the taxman..

      Comment


        #4
        Is your client UK based or India based?
        Are you direct with the client, or through an agent?
        What does your contract say about rate, currency and location?
        …Maybe we ain’t that young anymore

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          #5
          Originally posted by WTFH View Post
          Is your client UK based or India based?
          Are you direct with the client, or through an agent?
          What does your contract say about rate, currency and location?
          I'm through an agent..Infact there are two agencies in middle
          Client - Agency A - Agency B - My Limited Company - Me .

          Client, Agency A, Agency B and my limited company are all based out of UK right now.
          Rate, currency is in GBP. The location of the contract still says UK - but Agencies can change it if I ask them to.

          Comment


            #6
            If it's for 1-2 years in India, and the taxes for limited companies are high to begin with, I would explore an Umbrella / Umbrella like option for your stay in India. You might lose some money, but you won't lose your sleep over complicated x-border tax position.

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              #7
              Personally, unless the Daily Rate was Sky-high (> £850 ), I wouldn't look at alternative solutions. I would decline, with thanks, or insist on working through your UK Company. If it is high enough, you would be best placed seeking specialist Tax advice from an India-UK-Singapore Barrister / Chartered Accountant. This will not be cheap and I can't imagine getting away with less than £2500-3000 for the initial advice, plus the T&M for setting the vehicle up, notwithstanding the fact that you are going to have to maintain it / shut it down once you have completed the project.
              I was an IPSE Consultative Council Member, until the BoD abolished it. I am not an IPSE Member, since they have no longer have any relevance to me, as an IT Contractor. Read my lips...I recommend QDOS for ALL your Insurance requirements (Contact me for a referral code).

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Scruff View Post
                Personally, unless the Daily Rate was Sky-high (> £850 ), I wouldn't look at alternative solutions. I would decline, with thanks, or insist on working through your UK Company. If it is high enough, you would be best placed seeking specialist Tax advice from an India-UK-Singapore Barrister / Chartered Accountant. This will not be cheap and I can't imagine getting away with less than £2500-3000 for the initial advice, plus the T&M for setting the vehicle up, notwithstanding the fact that you are going to have to maintain it / shut it down once you have completed the project.
                This. Why are you going to the other side of the world for a role? Do you want to work out there?

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                  #9
                  set up a limited company in India
                  Unless things have changed in the last few years you'd require a 2nd Director who was an Indian National with 51% of the shares to do this.

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                    #10
                    Why don't you just decline, work your contract to the end and just go out and get another one in the UK like contractors do? If being sent out to India with the client dictating your set up is not D&C and I don't know what is. You are not obliged to do what they want so just politely decline and move on?
                    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                    Comment

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