Live in CA, work for FL company, what should I know? (Miami: health insurance, hotel)

[MisterCali]

I hope it's okay for me to re-post this from the Los Angeles forum. Figured some Floridians may be able to help as well.

I'm in the process of negotiating an offer of temporary employment from a company based in Miami. I live in Southern California and have for many years. I was originally under the impression that this was going to a contractor role, but the hiring manager told me yesterday that they'd like the status to be "seasonal employee." The company is based in Miami, but I will be working remotely from home. The company does not have a presence in California. I've got a bunch of questions about this type of agreement. If you have any experience in this area, please see my questions below. I've just received the initial verbal offer. Once we've completed the verbal negotiations on compensation, they're going to send me the formal offer letter / contract.

The contract I'll be signing will be for 8 months of employment with an option to renew on a month-to-month basis after that, but it's unlikely that I'll be needed beyond the initial 8 months.

Since Florida doesn't have state income tax, does that mean I'll be paying CA state income tax?


After my assignment has ended and my employer/employee relationship has been terminated, if I haven't landed another gig, will I be eligible for unemployment benefits? From who? The CA EDD?


As a seasonal employee, I'm not sure if benefits will be included in the offer - this is something I'll be asking about in my negotiations. Assuming I need to purchase my health insurance privately, as a California resident working for a Florida company, would I be attempting to purchase health insurance via the California Health Benefit Exchange or via Florida's system?


Beyond compensation - I'm going to verify which costs the employer will cover (travel and expenses for on site visits to the Miami office, for example; mileage for meetings closer to home; office supplies etc.)


What other questions do you think I should ask about during the contract negotiation?
Rate this post positively

[AnnRyan]

I think it would be smart for you to talk with an accountant about this opportunity. Depending on the terms, it might even be smart to take up residence in Florida for 6 months or so for tax reasons. You might be able to get the company employing you to pay for the residence, in lieu of frequent hotel room rental. You definitely need to consult an expert... these issues are too important to rely on the opinions of a few random people on the internet.

[jwolfer]

If you have a high income the California tax authorities will do what ever they can to get money from you... I agree with AnnRyan... expert opinions are needed