GTN Mobility Tax Blog

For many companies, the new workforce norm has shifted to virtual and remote employees. However, for several businesses, there remains a need to have employees working in-person on multiple projects across the country or around the world. Business travel, while still not up to pre-pandemic levels, is making its way back as a standard way of working.

While typical mobile workforce structures such as permanent and long-term assignments are generally managed through a defined HR or mobility function, management of short-term business travel tends to be less defined. Yet, understanding and actively managing the tax risks of short-term business travelers can greatly reduce costs and a variety of risks for both your organization and business travelers. Therefore, developing a structure to oversee this area is imperative.

As the future of work continues to evolve, providing a “positive employee experience” is top of mind for companies. While some organizations have gone back to in-office working arrangements, many have retained a full or partial remote workforce culture. These businesses see the provision of a flexible workplace as critical to not only retaining key employees, but also in recruiting top talent to fill essential job duties. And while this incentive is a benefit for the employee and employer, there are important duty of care responsibilities that need to be considered when you have a remote workforce.

Imagine this: you are sitting at your desk working to finalize the weekly status update. In walks the president of the company and says, “In order to increase our business, we are expanding overseas. I would like to send Jane Smith to Germany for three years. How soon can you make this happen?”

I’ll bet the questions that race through your mind are the same as every other HR manager tasked with sending employees internationally for the first time:

• Where do I start?
• What do I need to consider?
• What processes need to be in place?

Technology, growth in remote work, and global opportunities are empowering more and more people to take jobs across international and domestic borders. But as you award your cross-border employees with equity-based compensation, your tax compliance risk may be skyrocketing.

Luckily there are ways to navigate these mobile equity challenges while keeping your company and employees tax compliant.

Over 55 years ago, scientists introduced the “greenhouse effect.” In November 1965, the Environmental Pollution Panel along with the President’s Science Advisory Committee issued a report called, “Restoring the Quality of Our Environment,” that pointed out how increasing temperatures in the atmosphere was occurring due to the buildup of carbon dioxide. The phrase “global warming” (i.e., climate change) was coined a decade later when the issue of a warming climate began to reach a larger audience.

Now, as the effects of climate change are felt by more than just the scientists, individuals around the world are urging corporations to step in. Workforces yearn for their employers to be environmentally, socially, and culturally thoughtful. In this article, we will explore the principle of sustainability and how the global mobility department can not only participate but take the lead in creating change within their corporation. Below we highlight both short- and long-term goals you can create for your global mobility program along with potential resources to help make these goals a reality.

As the world of cross-border business returns and business travel begins again, you are likely thinking about your mobility program and its ability to scale with your organization’s global goals. And as your mobile workforce grows—whether it consists of remote workers, business travelers, or traditional assignments and transfers—you must consider the complications and major mobility tax issues that will surface as business travel increases.