# Self employed and working from home



## davidfowell (Mar 8, 2015)

Hi everyone. I am very new to the forum, so I really appreciate any help you can give us. Me and my wife are looking to relocate to Dubai this year and need some advice on visas and employment if possible. My wife can work from anywhere as her line of business is phone / Internet based. She is an account manager for a computer hardware company in the UK. Her employers have told her she can move to Dubai and work from home. Obviously she wants to have tax free earnings but what will she need to do to achieve this?
Will she need to be registered as self employed? What is all this about free zone and sponsors I've been reading. Does this apply? Really in the dark with all this, so if anyone could shed some light on the matter we would be so grateful. Thanks.


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## cronus (Mar 8, 2014)

No foreigner can reside in the UAE without a sponsor. Typically such a sponsor might be an individual (husband or employer( e.g UAE nationals employing maids) or a corporate entity (employer, school, etc). 

Self-employed professionals are usually advised to register their own companies in free zones (zones where foreigners are allowed 100% sole ownership) and then sponsor themselves i.e the company registered in the free zone sponsors the self-employed professional's visa.

There's no tax requirement in the UAE, she'll however have to work out any tax due overseas using the services of a tax professional


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## marc (Mar 10, 2008)

You will have to set up a "Freelance" company so that she can work legally in UAE.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

marc said:


> You will have to set up a "Freelance" company so that she can work legally in UAE.


Officially I suppose so, but where does it end? If someone's selling on ebay/souq etc. do they have to set up a Freelance company?

Personally i wouldn't bother and I'd just invoice each month and get paid into my UK account. No worries, you're on your husband's visa too.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

If all her business is actually done overseas (not in the UAE) and she's only in front of a computer or on a phone and working from an office in your apartment and doesn't have any local clients or business, then she needs no special visas or sponsorship. She'll be sponsored by you as a "housewife" but that's all that's needed.

To keep things safe set up an overseas bank account in Jersey or someplace like that and have her UK income deposited there, not the UAE. This is so that she can declare herself legally living and working outside the UK to avoid taxes.


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## Hull-Heppy (Jun 21, 2014)

Hi

She can still work for her existing employer in the UK and get paid as normal and have a UK Tax Code of NT. Her VISA will be as a Housewife and come under your sponsorship. She will still pay NI as normal but will not pay tax, just complete a P85 and submit and her tax code will change when she moves over. Just be aware that time in the UK is limited over a 3 year period and if she moves back 'mid tax year' then she may be liable for tax.

Not the most efficient way of managing your finances I'm sure, but in answer to your original question about can she earn tax free over here by continuing her employment with a UK company then the above is correct.

Good luck


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## marc (Mar 10, 2008)

Yeah as long as she doesn't advertise or market herself out here she wont get caught. 
If she is talking to people outside of the UAE every day how will they know.


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## _shel (Mar 2, 2014)

marc said:


> Yeah as long as she doesn't advertise or market herself out here she wont get caught.
> If she is talking to people outside of the UAE every day how will they know.


 If its not legal we dont advise it remember http://www.expatforum.com/expats/general-expat-discussions/2397-forum-rules.html


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