3 ms·

Ask HN: Working for a German Company, Living in France

3 points by stormwatcher 7y ago

Hi all, I work for a German company and currently live in Frankfurt. Last week, my employer told me I can have full remote if I want it either as a fulltime employee or a freelancer. Before I investigate the Freelance option I want to see if the fte status is even an option. Can I be a fte for a German company (the company doesn't have any affiliates in France) without having a TAX ID / Residency in Germany? (I obviously have a german tax id NOW but I will probably lose it upon leaving the country, I reckon) Thank you all.

BjoernKW 7y ago
Yes, that's possible. Technically, you're in the same situation as workers who live near the border and commute to another country every day. You'd be liable to pay income tax in France.
- stormwatcher 7y ago
  good point - "frontier-workers" are in the exact same legal situation as I am, I guess. Do you, by chance, know of any German governmental institute that can help me with the legal things surrounding such a move ?
  - BjoernKW 7y ago
    German authorities unfortunately usually are of little help, especially in situations other than the default case. They usually also don't speak languages other than German - neither English nor French (which might or might not be relevant in your case). I'd suggest talking to a registered accountant / tax counsellor ("Steuerberater" in German) instead.
    - thiago_fm 7y ago
      Yes, just get a good Steuerberater, try to find one that knows this stuff. You can also try to find people who do similar things and ask for their Steuerberater.
romanovcode 7y ago
Assuming German company won't have branches in France you will have to register as a freelancer/self-employed in France anyway to pay taxes in France (If you are to become Tax Resident of France). Also note that first 6 months of officially moving out of Germany you are non-tax-resident of any country if you are self-employed and can pay 0 tax if you do everything correctly. Regarding choice between fulltime or freelance contract - this is where you need to check pros and cons. As a freelancer contract you should take more money because it involves more risks (in Germany if you are contractor they can fire you with a moments notice, if you are full-time employee it gets much more complicated to fire people) Unfortunately you cannot just go to tax authority at the end of the year and say "I got this money, now I want to pay tax on it". TL;DR; Pay tax advisor (good one) in France for an in-depth consultation if you are serious about this, it will be worth the money.
- stormwatcher 7y ago
  Coming back to what @BjoernKW mentioned about "frontier-workers". Are you saying that all those people that hop over the borders for work have to register themselves as freelance/self-employed workers in their country of residence ?

3 points by stormwatcher 7y ago

BjoernKW 7y ago

Yes, that's possible. Technically, you're in the same situation as workers who live near the border and commute to another country every day. You'd be liable to pay income tax in France.

stormwatcher 7y ago
good point - "frontier-workers" are in the exact same legal situation as I am, I guess. Do you, by chance, know of any German governmental institute that can help me with the legal things surrounding such a move ?
- BjoernKW 7y ago
  German authorities unfortunately usually are of little help, especially in situations other than the default case. They usually also don't speak languages other than German - neither English nor French (which might or might not be relevant in your case). I'd suggest talking to a registered accountant / tax counsellor ("Steuerberater" in German) instead.
  - thiago_fm 7y ago
    Yes, just get a good Steuerberater, try to find one that knows this stuff. You can also try to find people who do similar things and ask for their Steuerberater.

romanovcode 7y ago

Assuming German company won't have branches in France you will have to register as a freelancer/self-employed in France anyway to pay taxes in France (If you are to become Tax Resident of France). Also note that first 6 months of officially moving out of Germany you are non-tax-resident of any country if you are self-employed and can pay 0 tax if you do everything correctly. Regarding choice between fulltime or freelance contract - this is where you need to check pros and cons. As a freelancer contract you should take more money because it involves more risks (in Germany if you are contractor they can fire you with a moments notice, if you are full-time employee it gets much more complicated to fire people) Unfortunately you cannot just go to tax authority at the end of the year and say "I got this money, now I want to pay tax on it". TL;DR; Pay tax advisor (good one) in France for an in-depth consultation if you are serious about this, it will be worth the money.

stormwatcher 7y ago
Coming back to what @BjoernKW mentioned about "frontier-workers". Are you saying that all those people that hop over the borders for work have to register themselves as freelance/self-employed workers in their country of residence ?