Managing Mobility Tax Risks and Costs: Key Insights from GTN and AIRINC’s Summer School Webinar

In the second installment of the Summer Mobility Tax Webinar Series, Christopher Ward (Director of Business Development at Global Tax Network) moderated an engaging discussion with Jeremy Piccoli (Tax Director at AIRINC) and Raj Azad (Managing Director at GTN). Together, they explored the intricacies of managing mobility tax risks and costs, sharing practical guidance on tax equalization, protection, and strategies for mitigating financial exposure.

Here are the key insights, including polling data that highlighted where companies stand today:

Tax Equalization: The Gold Standard for Mobility Programs

Tax equalization remains the most widely used approach for managing international assignment taxation. This method eliminates tax as a decision point for employees considering an assignment. By ensuring assignees are no better or worse off from a tax perspective, companies can move talent to high-tax and low-tax jurisdictions without impacting employee acceptance rates.

The first poll of the webinar highlighted this trend:

• 66% of companies use home-based tax equalization as their primary approach.
• 59% gross-up allowances, while 9% offer tax protection—a method that allows employees to benefit from lower host tax rates.
• 17% only provide tax return preparation, and 13% of attendees weren’t sure what their company offers.

The poll allowed companies to choose all that applied.

This reinforces tax equalization’s dominance in global mobility policies, despite its reputation for being costly.

Remote Worker Risks: A Global Challenge

The webinar explored the surge in remote work arrangements and their tax implications.

Nearly half of attendees reported that their organizations have a handle on managing remote worker risks:

• 48% said “Yes, we are on top of it.”
• 22% have started taking action.
• 8% said they aren’t managing it at all,
• 6% were thinking about it but haven't done anything yet
• 16% weren’t sure.

Who Manages Business Travelers? A Shared Responsibility

Business travelers and stealth assignments remain a compliance challenge for many organizations.

When asked who manages business travelers internally, attendees responded:

• 49% said “All or a combination of the above”, reflecting shared responsibility between departments.
• 33% cited Human Resources or Mobility,
• While 16% pointed to Travel or Payroll.
• Only 1.5% said Immigration and
• 0.5% Corporate Tax.

This distribution suggests the need for better cross-functional coordination to manage business traveler risks effectively.

Debunking Tax Treaty Myths

The session also covered tax treaties and their role in avoiding double taxation.

Attendees were asked whether using an income tax treaty avoids all taxes in the host jurisdiction.

• A striking 95% correctly answered “FALSE”, while 5% believed it did.

This underscores the importance of educating mobility stakeholders on treaty limitations and planning carefully to ensure compliance.

The Takeaway

Managing mobility tax risks and costs requires a combination of thoughtful policy design, proactive planning, and clear communication. Tax equalization remains the cornerstone of many programs, but companies should be aware of alternative approaches like tax protection, localization, and host-plus packages. As global mobility programs evolve, staying ahead of compliance risks for short-term assignees, business travelers, and remote workers is critical.

Up Next: 

This webinar is part of a three-part series with AIRINC and GTN. If you are an HR, Global Mobility, or Global Tax Professional, then these sessions are for you! Register for the final in the series:

Mobility Tax 301 - Advanced Taxation of Mobile Compensation August 7 | 10:00 AM Boston / 4:00 PM Brussels REGISTER

And if you missed the previous sessions, click below to watch again:

Mobility Tax 101 - Foundations of Global Mobility Taxation WATCH AGAIN

Mobility Tax 201 - Managing Risk and Cost in Global Mobility WATCH AGAIN

What You’ll Learn:

Each session qualifies for 1 CRP/GMS credit and 1 CPE credit. If the timing doesn’t work for your schedule or time zone, no worries—just register to receive the recording. To earn CPE credit, be sure to join us live and take part in the interactive polls.
You’ll hear from expert presenters and hosts from AIRINC and GTN, who bring a wealth of hands-on experience in managing global mobility tax strategy and compliance.

Meet Your Hosts and Presenters

• Pat Jurgens - AIRINC’s Director of Global Tax Research and Consulting, known for his 35 years of experience making international tax policy clear and practical for mobility professionals.
• Jeremy Piccoli - AIRINC’s Director of Global Tax Solutions, known for his deep technical expertise and leadership of AIRINC’s tax tools, with a background in international assignment tax consulting.
• Christopher Ward - GTN’s Director of Business Development, known for his strategic insight and friendly approach to building strong mobility industry partnerships.
• Tracy Novotny - GTN Managing Director with 18+ years of experience, known for delivering clear, actionable tax guidance and building trusted client relationships.
• Raj Azad - GTN Managing Director with a global perspective, drawing on 25+ years of tax expertise and personal expatriate experience to guide clients with care.
• Jack DeMarco - GTN Supervising Senior and equity compensation specialist, known for his proactive mindset and commitment to enhancing the client experience.