There is also a simplified method that is up to $1,500 (up to 300 square feet x $5 per square foot) that gives you a flat deduction without taking into account individual home expenses. The simplified method allows for less record keeping, however the original home office deduction can give you a bigger deduction. Establish an assessment and approval process, involving the Tax Department, Legal, HR etc. Document the process to evaluate requests to ensure consistent treatment.

– Zenefits is very similar to Gusto offering cloud-based solutions for payroll, benefits, and HR. Their payroll process is very quick and easy and they handle all the necessary tax implications for each employee easily. Remember, choosing which of these to go with is not necessarily about choosing the easiest or most convenient for both parties. The local laws need to be taken into account in order to determine which type of remote worker relationship will work.

New York’s Tax Code Is a WFH Nightmare

But the global pandemic turned it from request to requirement almost overnight—and companies stepped up. Seventy-nine percent of respondents to a Deloitte survey1reported that at least 75% of their workforce has been able to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. And 69% said their company’s ability to manage and support a remote workforce was good or excellent.

Look up local laws about what distinguishes contractors from employees and ask your employer how you are classified. Employers who discover they have misclassified a worker must act swiftly to correct the issue. Businesses in the U.S. cannot hire workers in other countries directly.

Case study: US resident working remotely in Spain and Japan for an Indian company

As an example, say someone who normally works in Pennsylvania begins working from their vacation home in New Jersey. They may learn that New Jersey State disability law covers maternity and remote work taxes for benefits. The employer may not even be aware that the employee has been working from New Jersey.

For tax departments designing or maintaining a remote work policy (or simply providing tax input on the company’s policy), it might be advisable to identify approved and prohibited countries for remote work. Drafting the written policies and designing the procedures to monitor compliance require careful thought. Do’s and don’t’s for employees should be circulated, and adherence should be periodically reviewed. In line with these trends, some companies have implemented policies allowing employees to work from anywhere in the world for a certain period, often for up to 90 days a year.

Addressing the people and tax implications of hybrid and remote work

An idyllic scenario where a professional just grabs their bags and travels around the world, working where it feels the best. You’ll also want to draft a company policy for remote work expense reimbursement in accordance with your local laws. That means if your organization is based in New York, but you have an employee working from home in Utah, you have to withhold New York taxes. News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services.

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