Working remote in UK

I’m planning a move to the U.K. on a spouse visa and my current US job is in talks about setting up a remote assignment. My company has no presence in the U.K.

What are my options for setting up a remote assignment that is legal with HMRC? Has anyone done something like this before?

Your employer would want to seek advice on its own obligations under English employment law. There may be corporate tax,  PAYE & VAT implications for the company. You could ask your employer to share with you copies of the advice it receives.

It may be better for you to become an independent contractor, self employed or setting up a limited company. There are quite a few people on here who do this. It's a lot more complex (for you) if you continue being paid as a w2 employee in USD like I did for a short time, I don't recommend it!



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ML123, you need to be careful if you take the route recommended by Margo. You do not have a “free choice” to be self-employed or not.

The UK has extensive rules about disguised self-employment. If in fact you continue to be an employee of the US company, then if say you use a UK limited company, then your company needs to apply PAYE under IR35 and similar rules. You might use a company and not properly apply these rules and this could undetected by HMRC for many years. But it would then be financially painfully if you were caught.

As a tax professional I would recommend that your employer follows the advice outlined by Guya.

As a tax professional I would recommend that your employer follows the advice outlined by Guya.

Hi Dunedin!  That reads as if you are a tax professional, I'm not sure if you meant it to or not?

Larabee, Yes I am a professional tax adviser but I neither tout on this site nor deal with any clients from it.

Larabee, Yes I am a professional tax adviser but I neither tout on this site nor deal with any clients from it.

Ah, I didn't know that (obviously!) but I should have guessed! Thanks! 

Larabee, Yes I am a professional tax adviser but I neither tout on this site nor deal with any clients from it.

Dunedin, I love that we didn’t know that.  Sooo many people try to stealthily advertise.

Are you WILLING to work with us if we contacted you?

Also, I’ve always been curious about your user name.  I grew up next to Dunedin Florida.  😊

KFdancer, I live in Edinburgh. (For those who are interested, Dunedin is an Anglicisation of Dun Eideann, the Gaelic name for Edinburgh.)  I think that it is best that I do not undertake professional work from this site, as it really is the case that I give comments solely out of interest and to assist, and not to promote my services.

KFdancer, I live in Edinburgh. (For those who are interested, Dunedin is an Anglicisation of Dun Eideann, the Gaelic name for Edinburgh.)  I think that it is best that I do not undertake professional work from this site, as it really is the case that I give comments solely out of interest and to assist, and not to promote my services.

Makes sense.  Dunedin Florida is a Scottish town (the high school marching band is a pipe and drum band).  It’s sister city is Stirling.   

Take a look at this recent thread:

https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=95589.0

I work for a US employer however when I moved back to the UK they started paying me through a UK based international payroll company. I now get paid in GBP and get a UK pay slip with all my UK taxes taken out. At the end of the year I get all UK tax documents and I file a UK self assessment return. I'm also signed up for the government autoenrollment pension scheme though this company and money comes out of my pay for that also.

My company is quite small (approx. 50 people total) and they do not have a UK presence or even a bank account here.

Hope this helps!