Pay tax in Ireland or Colombia?

piddif

Hi boards,

I am a software developer. I have been working in Ireland for two months but I have yet to becoming an employee of my company, rather I am working as a contractor.

I will soon move abroad to Colombia where I will continue working as a software developer for the same company which is based in Dublin. I will be in Colombia as a tourist, so I don't think I can pay tax there.

I plan to spend 3-6 months in Colombia, before moving to Vietnam where I will continue working but again as a tourist.

I would like to find out my options for paying tax in Ireland, Colombia or Vietnam. I am happy to pay what is required etc, but I would like to know where I should be paying my tax and I would like to ensure I am not doing anything illegal.

If anyone has any ideas or can point me in the direction of an account or similar to advise me, that would be fantastic.

Thanks all

Peregrinus

From what you say, notwithstanding your extended travel you'll be resident for taz purposes in Ireland throughout, and liable to Irish tax on your worldwide income.

You may also be liable to tax in Colombia and/or Vietnam on income earned while you are in those countries; that depends on the provisions of Colombian and Vietnamese law, about which there probably isn't a huge depth of knowledge on boards. Your assumption that, as a tourist, you can't have any tax liability seems optimistic; people who go on working holidays usually find they have a tax liability in the country where they holiday and work. A slightly stronger hope might be to find that, as a temporary visitor to Colombia you are only liable to Colombian tax on income from a Colombian source, and similarly in Vietnam, but if you want reassurance that that's the case you'll need to get local advice from obth countries.

Ireland and Vietnam have a double taxation treaty, so any tax which you pay in Vietnam can be offset against any liablity you may have in Ireland, or vice versa. But there is no Ireland/Colombia double taxation treaty, so it's possible that the same income could be liable to tax in both Ireland and Colombia. If that does turn out to be the case, Ireland will give you a deduction, but not a credit, for any tax paid in Colombia.

Mrs OBumble

There is also the question of whether you are allowed to work at all if you are in those countries on a tourist visa. It may not be a good idea to tell their governments that you will be working.