I'm a UK national working in the Netherlands since June 2007. I have just been made redundant and really want to continue working in the NL and benefiting from the 30% ruling. My current employment will end 1st March.

I'm working hard applying for jobs (for 2 months now) but all I have so far is a couple of weeks' IT Strategy consulting back in the UK, which might turn into a longer assignment.

Is it best to set up my own Dutch company to cover this situation? If I do this, can I keep the 30% ruling? I hope I shall get work in the NL, whether permanent or contracting. I could use a payroll company and they have said I can keep my 30% ruling by having them pay me in instalments over 3 months til June. I am confused by this - wouldn't I have to reapply for the 30% ruling as I am doing a different sort of job (different company, contract not permanent).

Does it matter that I happen to have found a first contract in the UK? I continue to live in the Netherlands and want to keep working here as well - but for now all I can do is keep applying for jobs and looking for consultancy opportunities.

thanks in advance for any advice people can offer

I have never heard of this arrangement and it sounds rather dodgy to me.
Can you tell us what payroll company has suggested it please so I can avail myself of this option after confirming its legalities
Once your contract ends in March, you have 3 months to find another job to maintain the 30% rule and yes any new employer must reapply.
It is rather difficult to keep the ruling as a employee/director of your company and its better that you do a search on previous threads discussing that issue.

I may not be understanding well, and I do not want to suggest they are not legal. The company in the Netherlands is Drake, found via a UK company who provide payroll for contractors. They propose that Drake reapply for my 30% ruling, the UK company retain my earnings and pass them through to the Dutch company between March and June.

I am beginning to think it is better to just take a short term contract in the UK and pay tax there (it is at a lower rate) although I am resident in the Netherlands and want to continue working here. If I spend 183 days in the UK in any one year, my residency becomes an issue. But for now, a short period is not a problem. Do you think this would be ok?

For now, I have just 3 weeks work in the UK (at 1350 UKP per day so it's not a trivial amount). It could become 6 months but who knows.

Any advice would be welcome, I'm really confused. I've already started to do the work and still do not know how I shall invoice for it.

thanks

I would doubt that if single shareholder and director is one person, whether the 30% rule is applicable at all. If the Dutch Payroll company applies for you, that would mean you would be their employee and the construction may work, however, reapplication is no guarantee that you will get it.

I'm in a very similar situation. What arrangement did you choose eventually? Did you set up your own company or went through a payroll service?

I used to work for 7 years with 30% privilige and then I started on my own business. I lost my 30% rule but in the end , I had the luck of enjoying it for 7 years and income from own enterpreneurship was good, so I couldn"t bother to find a way to keep this 30% rule alive.
Relying on a paayroll company can be comfortable, however, I rpefered to bear all risks on my own,