GTN Mobility Tax Blog

Now that the intensity of another US tax busy season has passed, it’s an opportune time to reflect on your mobility program with a post-tax season check-up. Taking time now to review this past busy season will allow you and your mobility tax provider to discover ways to enhance the employee experience, highlight areas of risk and outline necessary actions, and understand any frustrations that occurred so you can strategize future improvements. To guide you through this review, we’ve created a checklist that includes key considerations and tips for a successful post-tax season review. 

In our globalized business landscape, international assignments remain a cornerstone of talent management strategies. And the responsibility for HR and mobility program professionals to orchestrate seamless transitions for employees stepping into roles on foreign soil is pivotal. The success of these endeavors hinges on a multitude of factors, including strategic planning, resource allocation, and policy implementation.

Equity plan program managers and participants have likely heard of an 83(b) election (“Election to include in Gross Income in Year of Transfer”), but often its application and advantages are misunderstood. Section 83 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) governs several tax functions when determining the tax consequences of transfers of restricted property such as equity or stock. These special rules determine whether an employee has income resulting from a transfer of property, when an employee will recognize taxable compensation, and how much taxable compensation will be recognized. 

For the global mobility industry, 2023 has witnessed both significant challenges and exciting opportunities. Although continuing to ease, inflationary pressures and higher interest rates have had an impact on employees’ willingness to relocate. Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have created humanitarian and security crises that will have long-lasting impacts on global economies and welfare. At the same time, advancements in automation and artificial intelligence offer the possibility of transformative change, including opportunities in the creation of administrative efficiencies and in the reduction of cost and risks.

Picture this.

In order to attract and retain the best talent, your company has made the decision to continue to allow employees to work from home indefinitely.

To you, the HR Manager, “home” means employees must work from the address on their paycheck, but to the employee, “home” just means they can work remotely from anywhere they choose. And some have chosen to work in another state while others have chosen to work in another country.

Your mobility tax provider has informed you that when your remote workers work outside of their Home jurisdiction, they are potentially creating reporting and withholding tax risks and compliance requirements for both themselves and the company. You now realize you need to know exactly where everyone is working so you can begin to address any potential compliance risks.

If your auditor doubles as your company’s mobility tax services provider, you may have found benefits from this seemingly convenient arrangement.

It’s not unusual to see companies using the same firm to provide multiple kinds of accounting and tax services, especially for emerging and fast-growing companies. However, it is important to be aware of the challenges that may arise in this situation and understand why it may be beneficial to use different firms for your auditing and mobility tax needs.

By understanding your specific needs and the service limitations that can exist for audit firms, your organization will be in a better position to assess and select a vendor that will provide the experience needed for your mobility program and employees.