The short answer is: No.
It’s not because there aren’t any legal requirements. It’s just that most of the legal requirements aren’t really your responsibility. They’re your Filipino VAs.
The more detailed explanation is that your Filipino virtual assistant is an independent contractor.
This means that, unless you have a legal business entity in the Philippines, they’re not your employees. In the eyes of the Philippine and US, Canadian, UK, and Australian governments, your VAs are working for themselves.
Legally, they belong in the same camp as freelancers and small business owners. This makes them responsible for their own taxes, signing up and paying their benefits.
But if Filipino VAs are independent contractors, why do we encourage you to give them benefits like 13th month, paid time off, etc.
To build loyalty. To improve quality of life.
Working for you is better than jumping from client to client as a freelancer, because you’re offering them the stability of regular employment while still maintaining the freedom of being an independent contractor.
The ONLY legal requirement, if you’re in the US, is the W8-BEN, which I talk about at Onlinejobs.ph/taxes.
I’m not sure about other countries, but based on my conversations with business owners worldwide, it’s mostly the same. They just have different mechanisms for declaring their Filipino VAs.
It’s that easy. There’s no need to overthink this. There are no legal hurdles to hiring a Filipino virtual assistant.
You can hire one today! Just go to Onlinejobs.ph.
John