I did a quick search and didn’t see anything that quite fits our situation. I am based in the US, and have a job offer in Taipei. My new company will pay for my family’s relocation, but has expressed a preference that the international mover that I use have a local office where they can remit payment.
Also, up to now, I have been in discussions with the local agent for Allied Van Lines here in the US. They have provided me with an estimate for door-to-door service from the US to Taiwan. Any opinions on this company? Do they have a local office in Taiwan?
Tell your employer if they want to pay NT$ to a local company they need to hire them directly - in Taiwan.
Typically a move is paid for when goods are picked up, and paid to the company that packed up your goods. Thus in your case you most likely book with an international mover and pay them US$ when they pick up your goods. That company will then subcontract out the delivery end if they don’t have a presence in Taiwan. Your employer could always reimburse you in NT$ …
**I would be concerned about your employer’s ‘preference’ in this instance. It may suggest they are concerned you may arrange a kick-back with the shipper … which in turn suggests they actively grant/receive kick-backs and/or are annoyingly scrupulous about expenses. Perhaps not a good sign?? Then again, you may just be dealing with one constipated administrator who doesn’t reflect the rest of the company. Would hate to count on that …
Suggest you look at Crown movers. They have presence in both US and Taiwan.
Regarding remitting to a Taiwan based company, it’s due to their wanting to avoid the extra taxes (20%) required when you engage a vendor outside of Taiwan. Lots of companies have this preference but in your case, I think it’s a little overboard unless they think it’s going to be a hefty sum. Even then, they shouldn’t be nickle and diming you, a new expat employee.
EDIT: You can check AlliedPickfords for another option. I believe they also dba AlliedVanLines in the US but internationally is known as AlliedPickfords and they do have a presence in Taiwan.
I’m not surprised. As YC alluded to, there are a lot of regulations and accounting standards that make it a pain in the ass to pay for foreign provided services. If paying a local company they will issue an invoice to your company and that can be entered into the company books without hassle. If dealing with a foreign supplier then there will be additional paperwork generated to prove the transaction is legitimate, and in some cases there will need to be withholding taxes paid on top of the invoice amount. Much easier just to pay a local branch office who can generate an invoice.
Thanks for the replies! YC and jlick especially, since you’ve helped me understand why my employer would make such a request.
I think I will try contacting Allied Pickford and see if payment can be arranged that way. The thing is, dealing with Allied Van Lines in the US requires me to deal with a local third party agent (that is, here in the US)–and I suppose that it’s in their interest to assure me that I need to pay them directly rather than through a TW-based office
Thanks … I learned something. Still, if OP’s employer wants to save a buck under Taiwan’s convoluted accounting laws, then employer should book the mover. Let’s be honest, a schmuck US-mover in the US is MUCH less likely to have a clue re: submitting payment in the US than a Taiwan mover has re: arranging pick-up in the US.
In the OP’s shoes I wouldn’t take on this burden from the get-go. I’d tell the employer to book the mover directly in Taiwan if they have accounting concerns, and then have the mover’s US reps contact me for inspection/pick-up.
Thanks … I learned something. Still, if OP’s employer wants to save a buck under Taiwan’s convoluted accounting laws, then employer should book the mover. Let’s be honest, a schmuck US-mover in the US is MUCH less likely to have a clue re: submitting payment in the US than a Taiwan mover has re: arranging pick-up in the US.
In the OP’s shoes I wouldn’t take on this burden from the get-go. I’d tell the employer to book the mover directly in Taiwan if they have accounting concerns, and then have the mover’s US reps contact me for inspection/pick-up.[/quote]
That would be the sensible approach. Unfortunately, sensibility in Taiwan doesn’t happen often enough. For our company’s expats, all these arrangements are done by the employee and when that employee enters Taiwan, it becomes the company’s responsibility. Before that, they’re to do (most of) the leg-work etc :s
However, it’s a good idea and OP should turn it around and ask the company to make the arrangements with their preferred local provider with US presence. Our company uses Crown for expat relocations.
International Movers like Crown etc are not the only companies that can handle this, a number of freight forwarders ourselves included also deal in this market, and generally we save companies on the price, the only real difference is potentially insurance coverage. We currently deal with movement to/from Taiwan and the US, Australia and UK for now.
Hopefully you guys also do the visa paperwork a lot better than the international movers. Crown royally f*'ed up my HK employee’s paperwork. Going on 3 weeks without his HK passport and ID. You think the Taiwanese government treats him like a PRCer :fume:
Hopefully you guys also do the visa paperwork a lot better than the international movers. Crown royally f*'ed up my HK employee’s paperwork. Going on 3 weeks without his HK passport and ID. You think the Taiwanese government treats him like a PRCer :fume:[/quote]
They actually do as I know from experience. (I guess due to the fact that HK now belongs to the PRC)