Why we exist

Remote Payroll Guide started because two of our founders spent a combined eleven years on the operations side of remote-first companies, and they kept hitting the same wall. Every time they needed to pay a contractor in Argentina or a part-time employee in the Philippines, the answer came from a patchwork of forum posts, outdated blog articles, and vendor sales decks. The information that actually mattered—how long a transfer takes, which documents a local bank will reject, what happens when a tax treaty changes mid-year—was scattered and often wrong.

We built this site to be the place we wished existed: a reference written by people who have run payroll across borders, not just read about it.

Who we are

We are a small editorial team of four, based in Chicago and Lisbon. Between us we have processed payroll in 34 countries, managed contractor compliance for companies ranging from five to 500 people, and spent more hours than we care to count on hold with tax authorities. None of us are lawyers or accountants, and we do not play them on the internet. What we do have is operational experience: we have made the mistakes, fixed them, and documented what we learned.

Our editor, Maya Chen, spent six years leading global operations at a remote-first software company. Before that she ran contractor onboarding for a design agency with freelancers on four continents. She started writing internal payroll guides for her teams because the official documentation never matched reality.

How we work

Every guide on this site goes through three steps before it is published. First, we test the process ourselves where possible—opening accounts, running test payments, submitting sample invoices. Second, we ask a local expert to review the draft for accuracy, usually a payroll provider or accountant we have worked with. Third, we date-stamp the article and schedule a review every six months, because tax rules and banking requirements change.

We do not accept payment for positive coverage. Some articles include affiliate links to services we use, and we disclose that at the top of the page. If we recommend a provider, it is because we have used it or a trusted colleague has, not because of a commission.

What we cover

Our focus is narrow on purpose: the practical mechanics of paying remote workers. That means country-specific guides on contractor payments, tax withholding, and compliance; comparisons of payment platforms; and templates for contracts and invoices. We do not cover general HR strategy or remote work culture—there are better places for that.

We also publish a monthly newsletter that tracks regulatory changes in the countries we cover. It is short, plain, and written by the same people who write the guides.

Our values

Accuracy over speed. When a new regulation is announced, we wait until we have confirmed the details with a local source before publishing. That sometimes means we are a week behind the news, but we would rather be right.

Clarity over completeness. Payroll is complicated enough. We try to explain what you need to know in the order you need it, without dumping every edge case on you at once.

Transparency about limits. We are not a substitute for professional advice. When a situation requires a local accountant or lawyer, we say so plainly.

How to reach us

If you spot an error in a guide, tell us. We keep a public corrections log and credit readers who point out mistakes. You can email the editorial team at [email address]—we read every message, though it may take us a few days to reply.

We are not a large company, and we plan to stay that way. Our goal is to keep this site useful for the operations folks who, like us, just need to know how to pay someone correctly in a country they have never worked in before.