Four Collaborative Approaches to Immigration and Tax — At the Table with Mobility

The intersection of immigration and tax has become increasingly complex – and increasingly consequential. As companies embrace more flexible, mobile workforces, they must navigate an ever-changing maze of local regulations, cross-border compliance requirements and policy shifts that can emerge seemingly overnight. Staying ahead of these developments is not just a matter of best practice, it’s essential for mitigating risk, protecting talent and generating a positive Return on Mobility.

In such a dynamic landscape, no single team or department can go it alone. Success requires a collaborative approach that brings together mobility, legal, tax and HR professionals, relying on the cross-functional insights of experts who live and breathe these challenges every day. These partnerships are critical to developing proactive strategies, making informed decisions and ensuring workforces remain both agile and compliant.

Today’s intricate tax and immigration landscapes were the focus of one of Graebel’s insideMOBILITY® AMPLIFIED sessions. Leaders and subject matter experts examined four scenarios—two related to immigration and two related to tax—and workshopped solutions in response to current and potential mobility challenges. Read on to join the discussion and learn helpful tools and innovative ideas on how to best manage tax and immigration within your company. 

Scenario #1: Not All Business Trips Are Created Equal

Despite fluctuations in travel, organizations continue to see the value of business travel. In fact, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) 2024 Business Travel Index Outlook, 81% of participants report that business travel is worthwhile in achieving their objectives.

Given the prevalence of business travel, let’s explore an immigration and compliance scenario. Consider that two employees are traveling to the UK at the same time. One is a true business traveler, meaning they stayed in the country for their allotted 90 days, as allowed by their visa. The second employee’s responsibilities extended beyond the initial reason for travel, as the company asked the employee to support a project for a second client based in the UK. 

Scenario #2: From Travel to Trouble: What Happens When Employees Can’t Come Back

You know what they say about the best-laid plans… No matter how much planning a company and mobility team puts into a relocation, things can go wrong. And when they do, it can leave employees in critical situations. So, let’s explore a crisis management immigration scenario.

Imagine your company is headquartered in Country A. Your CEO and CFO have permits in Country A but are going to two different countries for work-related responsibilities. While in their host location, they find that they cannot return to Country A and may need to remain where they are for an extended period of time.

Scenario #3: United Front: A New Era of Mobile Employee Tracking

Tax is complicated on a personal level—but add in other countries’ regulations and multiply that across hundreds of employees, and it quickly becomes intimidating to manage, especially as laws constantly change. That doesn’t mean compliance is impossible—it just takes collaboration and a commitment to staying up to date on evolving rules.

As an example, the Netherlands is closer to the integration of their tax and immigration services, which will facilitate easier data sharing between the two departments. As a result, it will be easier for the Netherlands to ensure that foreign workers meet both tax and residency requirements.

Scenario #4: From Virtual to Violation: The Secret Side of Remote Work

Workplaces today afford employees far more flexibility and freedom than in previous generations. While there are certainly talent management benefits to this approach, it can also lead to employees secretly working remotely. In fact, according to a Topia survey, nearly 66% of employees reported not disclosing all days worked outside their home state or country to HR. 

Consider a scenario in which a handful of employees have utilized a company-branded background in virtual meetings to disguise their location. It has been brought to your attention that these individuals have been working remotely from an unauthorized location, as verified by their IP addresses.

Turn Insight into Action

Today’s mobility, tax and immigration landscape is complex—but you don’t have to navigate it alone. Leverage the takeaways from our insideMOBILITY® AMPLIFIED session to strengthen your strategy, support your employees and stay compliant across borders. Have questions or want to talk through your unique challenges? Contact us.