Contractor of Record

Hire, onboard, manage and pay international contractors

Hiring contractors abroad? Onboard and pay contractors in 70+ currencies, across 180+ countries and ensure compliance with country-specific invoicing, all through our automated payment platform.

Join 3,000+ companies already hiring with Horizons

Hire and onboard
contractors in 180+ countries

Contractors or freelancers are an ideal choice for short-term and project-based hiring. Through the Horizons platform, we take the hassle out of international contractor payment and management.

Simple processes

Hire contractors with compliant contracts & processes and pay them on our platform.

Hire at scale

Whether you need one contractor, 20, or 200, pay once per month and we take care of the rest.

Ease of use

Use Horizons’ platform to manage all contractors from one intuitive dashboard.

Get started

Ensure global compliance

Hiring contractors means complying with tax regulations in both your location, and the contractor’s location. Leave it to us to make sure all your international contractors are paid in full compliance with the law.

How to hire an independent contractor

If you are considering hiring a contractor, we recommend you take the following steps:

Check the compliance risk

Evaluate whether hiring a contractor is compliant. Failure to take this step runs the risk of misclassifying an employee as a contractor. This can mean paying back-taxes, interest and penalties.

Choose the contracting business model

The business might wish to hire an independent contractor directly. However, this involves setting up invoicing and payment systems, and dealing with potential tax implications.

Onboard the independent contractor

It is important that a written contract or agreement be in place for the hiring of all independent contractors. The agreement sets out the specific services to be performed, as well as payment, payment methods and dispute resolution.

Manage ongoing relationships

As well as managing the contracted deliverables of the contractor, the business needs to ensure that it manages the administration of the contract.

Why choose Horizons for hiring contractors?

We streamline the process, and ensure contracts and invoices are compliant — hire contractors within minutes. Our platform means we can take care of your contractors alongside any global employees you have.

Monthly invoice

Pay your global team in one monthly invoice. We take care of all individual payments to contractors, as well as employees, distributed around the world.

Fast onboarding

Horizons can hire contractors within minutes. Our international contracting specialists ensure contracts and invoicing are compliant with local laws.

Cost savings

As global payroll and payment specialists, we can hire and pay contractors more cost-effectively than in-house teams.

Ease of compliance

Many countries have strict rules around the contracts that freelancers and contractors must use, how invoices should be structured, and how any taxes must be managed. Horizons is on top of the rules in 180+ countries.

Protect your business

We ensure that contractors don't put your IP at risk, and make sure all information is handled in accordance with data protection regulations.

The Horizons platform

Our intuitive platform provides you with a secure online portal for managing both global contractors and employees.

Join 3,000+ companies trusting Horizons

Are there risks if I hire international contractors?

1. Legal Compliance

A contract alone does define the legal status of a worker. If a regulatory body determines that you have an employment relationship with a contractor, the penalties can be devastating.

2. Tax Liability

Depending on the circumstances, engaging a contractor in some countries could cause a ‘dependent agent permanent establishment’, making you liable for corporate income tax there.

3. Enforceability

In cases of contractor misconduct or breach of contract, enforcing the contract can be time-consuming and expensive compared to an employment scenario.

A seamless onboarding experience

We make hiring, onboarding and paying contractors stress-free. Through the Horizons platform, pay all your contractors with just one click.

Invite your contractor to Horizons

Once you have chosen a contractor, direct them to our platform to provide essential onboarding information.

Sign contract

We can provide locally-compliant contracts, or you can use your own.

Contractors submit invoices

Contractors provide a compliant invoice through the platform. You choose the regularity of invoicing (e.g., Net 30).

You confirm payment

Through the Horizons platform, you click just once to approve payment for contractors.

We pay invoices

We pay all contractor invoices on your chosen schedule, in the appropriate currency.

Contractor offboarding

When it comes time to end your relationship with a contractor or freelancer, we ensure this is done efficiently and while minimizing legal risk.

Contractor of Record

Hire, onboard, manage and pay international contractors