How Aardvark Tax Advisors Ran a Project Abroad With Zero Compliance Incidents and No Local Entity

About Aardvark Tax Advisors

Aardvark Tax Advisors is a tax and accounting firm founded in 2023 by a group of friends and colleagues. It works with individuals and businesses on tax and accounting needs, covering employment, business, estate planning and family matters. Its view is that a tax practice can do more than file returns. It can help people reach their life goals by supporting their financial ones.

As the firm grew, it took on a project that needed people deployed to own processes and technology. The best candidates lived in a market where Aardvark had never employed anyone. That gap between the candidate and the legal setup is where the trouble started.

The Challenge: The Right Hire in a Market Where Aardvark Couldn't Employ

Hiring directly would have meant setting up a local entity first. That takes months of registrations, bank accounts, tax IDs and legal work. A young firm doesn't need that cost for one project hire.

Local payroll also had several layers. Pension contributions, regional taxes and income tax withholding each come with their own rules and deadlines. Aardvark's team spends its days helping clients get these details right. It had no reason to spend its own time learning another country's version of them.

Aardvark had two bad options. It could spend months on an entity before the project began, or take on compliance risk outside its home market. It wanted another route.

The Solution: A Personalised EOR Setup Built Around These Hires

Gloroots set up a personalised EOR engagement for Aardvark. Senior hires didn't call for a generic package, so the setup was shaped around the role and the project timeline.

Here's how the work split:

• Gloroots became the legal employer. It drafted a compliant contract and ran payroll every month. It also handled statutory deductions, filings and HR documentation.
• Aardvark directed the work, set priorities and kept full control of delivery.

Aardvark had one point of contact at Gloroots for the whole engagement. Any payroll or paperwork question took one message to answer. With the setup in place, the next few months showed whether it would hold.

Making your first hire in a new country? Gloroots can have a compliant EOR setup ready before your hire's start date.
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The Results: Global Hire with Zero Compliance Incidents

The engagement ran for the full life of the project. The employee was paid correctly every month, and every statutory obligation was met on time. Aardvark described the experience as seamless.

What Aardvark got:

• Zero compliance incidents across the project lifecycle 
• Payroll, HR and compliance owned end to end by Gloroots
• No local entity to set up, run or close
• Project completed as planned, with a clean end to the engagement

Most people judge an EOR on how fast it onboards. Aardvark's case shows the harder test comes in months, when nothing has gone wrong. For a firm whose own work is built on accuracy, that's the standard that counts.

What This Means for Professional Services Firms Hiring Abroad

Small professional services firms often need one specialist in a new market, not an office. An entity starts to make sense once you plan a sizeable, long-term team. For the first few people, an EOR makes you compliant from day one, with no setup or exit costs.

Project-based hires gain the most here. An EOR covers the full lifecycle, from the offer letter to the final settlement when the project ends. You don't have to wind down a company you only opened for one role.

If you're planning a hire like this, Aardvark's setup is a useful template.

Need talent abroad without the entity? Gloroots employs talent in 150+ countries, compliant from day one.
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FAQs

Can I hire an employee abroad without a local entity?

Yes. An Employer of Record becomes the legal employer in that market and handles the contract, payroll and statutory compliance. You direct the employee's daily work. Aardvark Tax Advisors used this model to employ a senior lead for 22 months.

Is an EOR a good option for small accounting or tax firms?

Yes. A small firm rarely needs an overseas entity for first few hires. An EOR gives it compliant employment abroad while its team stays focused on client work.

What statutory deductions does an EOR handle?

It depends on the market. Common ones are pension or provident fund contributions, social insurance, regional taxes and income tax withholding. The EOR calculates each one, files it on time and issues the year-end tax documents.

Is an EOR a good fit for a project-based hire?

Yes. A project hire needs a compliant start and a compliant exit. An EOR handles both, so you don't set up an entity for a role with a fixed end date.

When should a company set up its own entity instead of using an EOR?

An entity usually makes sense once you plan a larger, long-term team in one market. For a few hires or project-based roles, an EOR is faster and cheaper. It also carries less risk.