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Ask HN: Tax implications of becoming a full time remote employee

1 points by gearoidoc ↗ HN
I've been freelance consulting for the past few months and everything was pretty clear from a tax return perspective (ie. independent income/expenses - I do my own return and the company do theirs).

Now they wish to hire me full time (and I'm on board). Trouble is - the company is in Ireland and I live in Canada.

Does the company in question have to register here? Do I pay income tax in Ireland or Canada? What are the obligations for both the employer and employee?

Any help is much appreciated!

1 comment

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smt88
I can't help you, since I'm from the US. It probably makes sense to consult an accountant with experience in this arena (trans-national employment). You could probably sort it all out with an hour of his/her time.

In the US, "full-time" does not imply "our employee". You can be a full-time contractor and still pay your own taxes. This is a common scenario if A) you want to maintain your autonomy, or B) the company wants to exploit you.

You should first confirm with the company that you will be a full-fledged employee. You can also just ask them these questions directly -- I don't think they'll look down on a Canadian for not knowing Irish tax law, do you?

(My bet is that you pay income tax in Canada, but I really don't know.)