Buckyball

Why don't you stay out of the thread if you are getting nasty?

ldollard

Cool thanks

No happy pills today.

I think you'll find the OP was using us as a sound board, but specifically was confused regarding his wifes employers position which was confusing, hence the different questions from multiple angles.

dunroving

Re-read the thread and ask yourself who was getting snarky. I couldn't have clarified the situation any clearer, but for some reason, you already knew, or understood what I told you, or started getting shirty (last post). Small wonder I couldn't figure out what you were asking for.

You can always ignore me but I'll leave the thread when I feel I have nothing to add.

bkk_mike

The company is being stupid.

I know people who've telecommuted from France to jobs in London, and it's not been a problem. Scotland is even less of an issue as it's part of the UK, so they can just pay standard PAYE tax.

I could understand if there's something like private health insurance where the place you're going to be in Scotland doesn't have coverage, but it's not like America where that would be a big problem as you've still got the NHS to fall back on.

Are you sure it's not an American that thinks there's a problem that isn't there. I've come across issues like that in the past where they assume every country works like America does. (they're maybe thinking Scotland is a different state, so they're thinking it's like having an out-of-state employee in the US.)

Hotscot

I am not impressed by this company. Talk about ignorance.

bkk_mike

You didn't say what your wife does.

I can see a potential problem if she, in Scotland, is agreeing to legal contracts on the company's behalf, but it's the only thing I can think of where Scotland having a separate legal system would be an issue.

But most telecommuters are in IT, where it's not a problem.

i.e. She'd need to be doing something like trading on the company's behalf, which would involve entering into legal contracts, for it to become something for the company's local lawyers to look over.

not2old

no

really unusal - maybe ask them what they're on about, cos Scotland is in the UK and everything is basically the same as far as Inland Revenue, taxes, NHS health coverage. You can live in Lands End this week then Jon O' Groats next week & apart from your address - you are you all tied back to your National Insurance number just like the social security number in the US

Unless this way too complicated

no

no matter where you live in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland)- you work, you pay taxes (PAYE) to the British Governments dept of Inland Revenue


All answered above & its BS because Scotland is part of the UK. If the company has a policy of not paying her if she lives in Scotland - ask them why?

Bluegrass Lass

I'm a relative newbie to the UK, having just moved to Edinburgh a little more than 3 weeks ago. My US company wanted to keep me working remotely, so a contractor exchange was set up. I basically work through a contractor, but they cannot pay my salary directly. I have to either be paid by an umbrella company, or invoice them like I am self-employed. I chose to go with an umbrella company so I didn't have to calculate the PAYE. The contractor and umbrella company (whom I'm actually considered an employee of) both are located down in England. There was never any mention of my living in Scotland to be an issue. It was basically a "here, sign these papers, and we'll pay you. thanks"

I've no idea what your wife's company may be going on about.

Thanks dunroving, for mentioning that independence referendum may cause upheaval for my job situation. I hadn't even though about that possibility.

scot47

You should not expect people in Reading to understand that Scotland is a part of the UK.

Pulaski

Actually they are, the Halifax - Bank of Scotland merger was structured as a reverse takeover of Halifax by Bank of Scotland, so the merged entity was a Scottish bank.

In fact, it isn't just banks, all corporations in Great Britain are registered in either "England and Wales", or "Scotland", and the head office has to be in the area the corporation is registered, so a corporation registered in England and Wales with a head office in, say, Newcastle, can't just move it's head office to Edinburgh.

dunroving

But that isn't what the OP was meaning, as far as I could tell. Living in Scotland, I do not have to use a "Scottish" bank, and using a "Scottish" bank doesn't really mean anything in terms of everyday use. Unless it is a small "Scottish" or "English" bank that only has branches in Scotland or England, which might lead to some logistical problems.

Pulaski

You are correct. The effects of the two separate "zones" of registration are entirely transparent to customers and employees, which is why most people don't even know the distinction exists.

Nobody has mentioned it yet, but the freedom of businesses to operate across national borders within the European Onion would almost certainly stop Scotland preventing a business registered in England and Wales from employing a resident of Scotland. But the question is moot considering that Scotland is not a separate country.