| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Is translation actually considered working? Thread poster: Dylan J Hartmann
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| It may depend who you are... | May 20, 2015 |
... and how often you travel.
Without going into Danish politics, the tax authorities are very interested in how many days you stay in Denmark on each visit and in the course of a year. (If you are over a certain limit you are liable for tax). For instance, if you have a family in Denmark and visit them at weekends, but work in another country, you can claim to live in the other country, provided you don't even open a work-related e-mail during the weekends. Most people who come eve... See more ... and how often you travel.
Without going into Danish politics, the tax authorities are very interested in how many days you stay in Denmark on each visit and in the course of a year. (If you are over a certain limit you are liable for tax). For instance, if you have a family in Denmark and visit them at weekends, but work in another country, you can claim to live in the other country, provided you don't even open a work-related e-mail during the weekends. Most people who come every weekend plus public holidays would go over the limit and be liable for tax.
That is the official story. The rules have been discussed a lot, because of course some families try to bend them, and naturally, there are more details to every case. However, translation would definitely be considered working for tax purposes in Denmark, no matter where you said you were based. (But then just about EVERYTHING is taxable in Denmark...)
It would also depend on how many days you spent in Denmark each year. Below a certain limit even the tax authorities can't claim you live here, as long as you pay tax somewhere else! ▲ Collapse
| | | | Diana Obermeyer 
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:58
Member (2013)
German to English
+ ...
| That's the attraction | May 20, 2015 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
If you are over a certain limit you are liable for tax.
But this is exactly what makes this concept rather interesting, as long as there is no double taxation.
Arguably, most translators would not exceed the threshold for the highest tax rate if only the income for a partial year was taxed in each country.
While the amounts involved wouldn't justify establishing a second place of residence and business, it may well be worthwhile actually registering the business in the given country of regular visitation. The difference between a 20% tax rate and a 40% one can add up to some pretty figures.
| | | | Neil Coffey
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:58
French to English
+ ...
| Presumably Denmark has more of a "process" for this, then...? | May 20, 2015 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
translation would definitely be considered working for tax purposes in Denmark, no matter where you said you were based. (But then just about EVERYTHING is taxable in Denmark...)
Presumably in that case , the Danish authorities must make it easy for foreigners to actually register to pay the tax.
I think one of the problems that you may encounter generally is that if you go to the immigration/tax authorities of a country and say "Hey, I'm a translator visiting here for a few months and I'd like to register as a resident and pay some tax please", then depending on who you speak to, they may well opine that in principle they'd like to do that, but in practice you may find they have no actual process/Form To Fill In in order for you to do so. They may have a process for if an Employer is Employing you to Dig A Ditch. Or they may have a process for if you have been awarded a Contract by somebody in their country. But you may find that they don't have a process and registration form for "editing Word documents and remotely managing projects under an agreement/for clients entirely based and managed outside of the country, but where I don't have a "letter of employment" or "contract" from the country in which my feet are currently standing". Christine -- from what you say, presumably Denmark does...?
But I think you'll find that in many countries, it's still a situation that they simply haven't thought about very much. As I said in a previous post, I think this is a situation that will change over time as it becomes more and more common for people to "informally" use their laptops to manage a business based back home while travelling.
[Edited at 2015-05-20 10:51 GMT]
| | | | Neptunia
Local time: 22:58
Italian to English
| the short answer is yes | May 20, 2015 |
As a lot of people have touched on, one of the issues is taxation, and there may be tax treaties that override those national laws. For example, by Italian law, a new arrival who takes on official residency has to start paying taxes at the 6 month mark whereas according to the treaty with the US, someone who lives in Italy can still be considered a "resident for tax purposes" of the US for up to one year. The part that is hardest to accept though is that there is really very little wiggle room i... See more As a lot of people have touched on, one of the issues is taxation, and there may be tax treaties that override those national laws. For example, by Italian law, a new arrival who takes on official residency has to start paying taxes at the 6 month mark whereas according to the treaty with the US, someone who lives in Italy can still be considered a "resident for tax purposes" of the US for up to one year. The part that is hardest to accept though is that there is really very little wiggle room in the way immigration status and visas are defined. If it does not permit work, then that is it. Tax laws, by comparison, are friendly and flexible. Unless there is some extensive description of "business" travel that defines quietly working on your computer to keep your foreign business running while you are away as OK which I have never seen or heard of, then yes, translation work would be considered working and a violation of the terms of any normal tourist visa. Does that mean most of those people tapping away on their laptops as they sit in the lounges of airports across the world are violating the terms of their visas? Yes, I think it does, but of course it would be absurd to round them all up. ▲ Collapse
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