Billing a company as a consultant

A_SN

This week I was contracted by a French company for a consultancy in my area of expertise. Everything was agreed upon, from the schedule to the payment, just one thing though, they can't pay me if I don't bill them.

I'm new to being a consultant, this is my first contract (I'm 22 and never had a real job or contract before), and I have no idea what I have to do in order to be a legit consultant and be paid the proper way. Over there in France they took me to a company that could hire me as a consultant and bill the original company for me, take their part and pay what they have to as employers, the problem is that if I went with them, half of what I would bill to the company would go to the mandatory French social contributions/assessments (not sure what that's called over here) that I would not benefit from anyways, since I don't plan to ever move or retire in France.

Obviously I don't want to kiss half my pay goodbye, so I thought maybe I'd be able to get a better deal in Ireland, since there's notoriously less taxes/social protection BS and all that. So what should I do? Are there any companies that can take care of billing that company for me or something? What's the correct way to go about doing it?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Send them an invoice! There's nothing too complicated to it.

You should do a small bit of itemisation, like number of hours and general expenses.

/edit; most word processing programs have templates for this very purpose.

eden_my_ass

Not affiliated but a customer, try www.cxc.ie ....they can move you into an existing umbrella company and invoice through that, commission of 5% per monthly invoice amount, capped at 300 euros I think. Worth calling to get advice though.

Bandara

I've always just put "Please note I shall be looking after my own tax liabilities" at the end of my invoice.

No one has ever had a problem with it as it covers their backs, my accountant just does his thing after that.

A_SN

Sean_K wrote: »

Send them an invoice! There's nothing too complicated to it.

I asked and apparently I can't do that under French law..

eden_my_ass wrote: »

Not affiliated but a customer, try www.cxc.ie ....they can move you into an existing umbrella company and invoice through that, commission of 5% per monthly invoice amount, capped at 300 euros I think. Worth calling to get advice though.

Ah, thanks a lot, I contacted them, I'll see how it goes.

Hammertime wrote: »

I've always just put "Please note I shall be looking after my own tax liabilities" at the end of my invoice.

Oh don't worry, they told me they don't care if I get in trouble with the taxes in Ireland but they need a legit company to be invoiced by it seems.

Sonnenblumen

It would be no harm to enquire if your 'consultant' payments will be subject to any Retention Tax by the French co on behalf of French Tax Authorities in which you will have to make a separate claim for re-imbursement (assuming you have no tax liability in France) ?

Have you considered Staged payments?