Work 6 Months, Sail 6 Months - S-Corp

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Jcody2121

My wife and I want to work 6 months and sail 6 months. I am incorporated as an S-Corp and work as an IT consultant specializing in Data and Voice communications (Cisco). My wife is a SAS programmer who works in the Pharmaceutical industry. Can anyone shed some light on the possibilities of making this happen. I know we can both work via telecommuting (Especially my wife). My main question is... Being an S- Corp allows me to work easily in the US since any Corporation simply pays me without the need for taking out taxes etc. Would this same scenario apply for other countries, could I work in other places while sailing more easily as an S-Corp?

Thanks

- - I looks like we got sidetracked away from the original questions into a discussion of the S-Corp vs C-Corp vs No-Corp in the USA. I believe the original question was about setting up something similar in other countries to be able to work "in those countries."
- - I would suggest that the answer is "No." Active work (e.g. servicing computers, IT services) including "producing" intellectual property (e.g., software, IT work consulting) and receiving money for such work - If it involves having your "feet" on the land of the country requires a work permit. Whether you are doing "work" for persons (corporate or actual) who are located in a different country, or doing work for customers inside the local country it is classified as needing a work permit.
- - Getting a work permit is not difficult if your local customer certifies that there are no local workers able to do the work. Or, if you set up a business that will employ locals as staff (i.e., create jobs for the local population) then getting a work permit is easy. However, "easy" in the Islands is not the "easy" of the USA. Large amounts of money and long waits for approvals are the normal condition. Remember, we operate on "island time" down here. "Immediately" means sometime this month; "right away" means sometime this year; and "as soon as possible" means maybe you will not live long enough to see it happen. That is where the "large amounts of money" comes in - hiring local lawyers, judges, etc. (we call them "lobbyists" in the USA) to get your needs attended to quicker than normal.
- - However, as explained in other threads, if you never set "foot" on land while during your work and can operate purely by wifi internet from your vessel and - this is important - do not need to set up a local address in the country - then you are not "working" in that country and can avoid the work permit problems. You would continue to use your USA mail address or use a PMB or a relative or something to maintain the reality of doing your work "inside" the USA. You would have to maintain your USA/State/Local jurisdiction licenses and taxes that are necessary in your type of work.
- - If after a lengthy period of time in a particular island or country "paradise" you decide you would rather live there permanently (resident alien) then setting up the business and work permits makes sense as you would be "joining the community" and contributing to the island's economy via local taxes and employing locals. There are thousands of "ex-pats" doing just that in the Caribbean region.