Ask HN: Anyone had "bogus self-employment" issues freelancing remotely in EU?

3 points·lm2s··4 comments

Hello HNers.

I've recently had a potential freelance contract fall through due to fears regarding a "bogus self-employment" issue.

Although full-time but not exclusive and since the contract would be B2B (not self-employment) I was caught off guard by this.

Has anyone else working remotely within the EU experienced any issue like this?

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It's a common concern at least in some countries, yes, although it varies wildly how careful companies are about it.

> bogus self-employment

What do you mean by that? I don't understand. That you wouldn't be a real professional or what?

Self-employment is a kind of legal working status. Think of an handyman (or an Uber driver), they might have a company or be self-employed.

Since having a company has much more legal work and expenses, many workers prefer to be self-employed. And usually self-employment seems to only happen in lower income jobs.

In this case bogus means that the self-employed status is being abused by a company to reduce tax payment and associated costs and benefits that an employee would have.

That someone is on paper self-employed but actually performing work as an employee would, and thus the employer should pay employment taxes, insurance, ... for them.

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