GTN Mobility Tax Blog

Let’s face it, many people find taxes to be intimidating, time consuming, and confusing. Why else would so many people procrastinate when it comes to filing their taxes? Then, add in the intricacies when taxpayers are dealing with multiple tax jurisdictions—due to an international transfer, international assignment, business travel, or even remote work—and the complexities skyrocket. When employees work outside of their Home location, delivering timely communications can go a long way in managing risks and providing an exceptional employee experience—helping you retain top talent and providing essential duty of care to your workforce. Below, we outline key items you should be discussing with your remote workers, business travelers, and/or international transferees or assignees.

In recent years, the global workforce has witnessed a significant shift towards remote work and the rise of digital nomads, defined as a person who works entirely over the internet while traveling and who has no fixed place of business. As more individuals seek the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, many countries have recognized this evolving trend and responded by offering a unique solution—the “digital nomad visa.” This visa, often with less stringent requirements than traditional work visas, allows individuals to live and work in worldwide destinations of their choosing. 

This article was originally published in Spiceworks.

Employees are moving, and technology infrastructures need help to keep up. An AIRINC survey found global mobility activity has increased for 60% of companies in the last year. However, only 14% of those company leaders say they “strongly agree” that they have the right technology to meet the general administrative needs that spring out of their mobility programs. That figure must change if organizations want to avoid tax compliance and immigration headaches.

As remote work requests continue to roll in and the future of work is one that embraces a mobile workforce, C-suite executives are pushing to offer remote work as a valuable incentive to retain and attract talent. While a drive to offer this employee incentive has already realized advantages for companies, it has also come with many challenges and compliance requirements that still need to be addressed.

As travel is slowly returning worldwide, and remote work is becoming truly remote, the key to having a successful remote workforce policy is to have a plan. Having an approach that essentially lets your employees freely choose where they work puts both the company and the employee at risk. And there are many risks ranging from health, duty of care, employee benefits, and insurance, to more operational aspects such as immigration, tax, payroll withholding, and social security. Below are some guidelines for how you can handle your traveling remote workforce.

Without a doubt, COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work, especially within the global mobility industry. As vaccines finally make their way around the globe, organizations are realizing the traditional idea of having employees in the office every day may not be the way of the future. Programs and policies need to adapt to a new way of managing a remote workforce.