Tips for working remotely abroad for a few months?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And to further clarify, while you may not be personally liable for taxes, it’s the company or business that doesn’t suddenly want to owe French or Irish or Mexican or Malaysian taxes. That is what makes this all so unsettling for employers.

This. Even moving within the United States can cause problems. I lead recruiting for a small-to-mid-size U.S. company and we aren't registered as an employer in any more than about 10-12 states. If I hired someone based out of California, HR and Finance would want to murder me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can absolutely work for your US company in another country. It's called being a digital nomad. Everyone here is just jealous of you.

I like Latin America because the time difference is better and the cost of living is economical, you get more bang for your buck. I'd look at Medellín, Colombia - it's like a smaller NYC in Latin America.

This is just false. Yes, jealousy can be real but I’m a full time digital nomad and taxes are no joke. You must be careful or you could lose your job.

6-8 weeks is not establishing residency. OP is FINE. He doesn't want to become a permanent citizen of another country and buy a house and send his kids to school there. Geez, so many people just want to rain on his parade.

[Anonymous]

My company IT sends an automated message if I work in California for a few days telling me they know I'm in California and I can't keep working there. Assume it's a tax thing. So for certain make sure it's ok with your employer to work from the exact location you have in mind. I would check into medical insurance coverage too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can absolutely work for your US company in another country. It's called being a digital nomad. Everyone here is just jealous of you.

I like Latin America because the time difference is better and the cost of living is economical, you get more bang for your buck. I'd look at Medellín, Colombia - it's like a smaller NYC in Latin America.

This is just false. Yes, jealousy can be real but I’m a full time digital nomad and taxes are no joke. You must be careful or you could lose your job.

6-8 weeks is not establishing residency. OP is FINE. He doesn't want to become a permanent citizen of another country and buy a house and send his kids to school there. Geez, so many people just want to rain on his parade.

Wrong. OP may want to do it, but it’s illegal on many levels, so not fine. Why would you give such bad advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can absolutely work for your US company in another country. It's called being a digital nomad. Everyone here is just jealous of you.

I like Latin America because the time difference is better and the cost of living is economical, you get more bang for your buck. I'd look at Medellín, Colombia - it's like a smaller NYC in Latin America.

This is just false. Yes, jealousy can be real but I’m a full time digital nomad and taxes are no joke. You must be careful or you could lose your job.

6-8 weeks is not establishing residency. OP is FINE. He doesn't want to become a permanent citizen of another country and buy a house and send his kids to school there. Geez, so many people just want to rain on his parade.

Wrong. OP may want to do it, but it’s illegal on many levels, so not fine. Why would you give such bad advice?

^^Just to add, OP would need a work visa to do this (yes, even for a short period), plus would owe taxes on any income derived while working in that location (yes, even for a short period), as would his employer. That’s just reality, so sorry if it rains on OP’s parade.

[Anonymous]

OP, just take a leave of absence and travel abroad for a bit. Working abroad won't work legally and other countries are very careful about who can work there and who cannot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

+1. Some of these PPs are so entitled (and dumb).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

Americans don't need tourist visas for most countries and can stay up to 90 days. My company encourages working abroad for up to 10wks a year. We have a Global Work Advisor who you need to work through but I have never had my request denied. We just do EU countries. This is a completely US based company.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

Americans don't need tourist visas for most countries and can stay up to 90 days. My company encourages working abroad for up to 10wks a year. We have a Global Work Advisor who you need to work through but I have never had my request denied. We just do EU countries. This is a completely US based company.

Americans don’t need visas for TOURIST stays, but they do need visas/permits for WORK of any kind. You do get that distinction, don’t you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

Americans don't need tourist visas for most countries and can stay up to 90 days. My company encourages working abroad for up to 10wks a year. We have a Global Work Advisor who you need to work through but I have never had my request denied. We just do EU countries. This is a completely US based company.

Americans don’t need visas for TOURIST stays, but they do need visas/permits for WORK of any kind. You do get that distinction, don’t you?

Ok, tell that to the government. I was abroad on a 6 month assignment sponsored by the government and they told me not to bother with a work visa, to get a 90 day visa and then renew it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

Americans don't need tourist visas for most countries and can stay up to 90 days. My company encourages working abroad for up to 10wks a year. We have a Global Work Advisor who you need to work through but I have never had my request denied. We just do EU countries. This is a completely US based company.

Americans don’t need visas for TOURIST stays, but they do need visas/permits for WORK of any kind. You do get that distinction, don’t you?

Ok, tell that to the government. I was abroad on a 6 month assignment sponsored by the government and they told me not to bother with a work visa, to get a 90 day visa and then renew it.

Right, because all governments are the same….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There are no tax issues or anything at play if it's less than 90 days, people! OP will be on a waiver, not even a tourist visa, for most countries where OP might want to go that also have a great internet connection.

Check the internet connection, OP. That's the most critical thing. We spent a few months in France last year, and the most picturesque, non-urban locations may not have the wifi you want. It's the first thing we clarified with every AirBnB we wanted to rent.

This is just wrong. Completely wrong, as are all the responses from PPs saying that there are no issues with being a digital nomad. Ignoring the laws and having no repercussions doesn’t make something legal. For most countries, you cannot work - even for a foreign employer- while on a tourist visa. Yes, laws are largely ignored by Americans but tourists visas aren’t meant to allow you work and residence.

The tax implications for the US employer are quite real. Again, often ignored and difficult to track but still applicable

-immigration/employment atty

Americans don't need tourist visas for most countries and can stay up to 90 days. My company encourages working abroad for up to 10wks a year. We have a Global Work Advisor who you need to work through but I have never had my request denied. We just do EU countries. This is a completely US based company.

This is what annoys me about this thread: the entitled, arrogant American response. I know PP believes this, most Americans do. They completely believe that it is their RIGHT to go to any country and stay and work on a TOURIST visa because - well - they're rich, white Americans with enough disposable income to allow them to do it. Just so you know, tourist visas are only permissible for tourist activities during that 90 day period. They do not encompass work, even if it is virtual for a foreign based employer.

What I find crazy about this thread is all the PPs who insist that they can go work virtually in a foreign country as tourists. But just imagine for a hot second if Mexicans, Syrians, Liberians, Nigerians, or other nationality were to dare enter the US as tourists and claim their right to work as a digital nomad. It's considered a violation of status and ground for revocation of that tourist visa. In most cases, work (of any kind) is a violation of the terms of your tourist visa - particularly in visa waiver status. Yes, there are some countries that allow it but you must do the research on that. For example, I think some Caribbean nations were permitting it explicitly to draw tourism dollars.

There are some EU nations that offer a specific "digital nomad" style visa. Italy is one of them. you must apply for that visa specifically and submit evidence of your current US based income. This will grant the type of work authorization that would be needed for a virtual worker. It does not grant work authorization in country for domestic employers.

The point is that Americans think they can do anything at any time where the reality is that there are laws that you should be looking to for guidance. We just like to ignore them. Because 'Merica.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can absolutely work for your US company in another country. It's called being a digital nomad. Everyone here is just jealous of you.

I like Latin America because the time difference is better and the cost of living is economical, you get more bang for your buck. I'd look at Medellín, Colombia - it's like a smaller NYC in Latin America.

This is just false. Yes, jealousy can be real but I’m a full time digital nomad and taxes are no joke. You must be careful or you could lose your job.

This!

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks again to all the thoughts and cautions.

I got a bit more detail. The company will support the pursuit of a visa as needed, but any personal tax implications would be on me. We're a location agnostic company in general, so this isn't a stretch culturally - it's just a logistics challenge.

If I did Europe, I could just plan on working afternoons/evenings to align with our domestic time zones. Good flags from PP on ensuring good internet connectivity.