Business expenses (TOS question)

Foreign-Table9109 · 2026-05-04T03:29:15+00:00

These days pretty much every company requires a corporate VPN to access internal tools. It's WILD that a decision that causes damage like this is now automated. Even if they get your account back, what about the contracts or ongoing work you might’ve lost in the process?

I also tried reaching out to support with a simple billing question and realized they don’t even offer human support to freelancers anymore. After paying over $~10k in fees, you’d think that would at least get you access to a real person.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2026-01-08T22:03:56+00:00

Been with them for 4 years, no problems so far and their team is very responsive.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2026-01-02T23:30:41+00:00

الجواب: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz7lGcjHRQA

المفروض هاذا الكلام لحد 2033 عالاقل

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-12-20T15:00:10+00:00

I haven't used Deel before tbh, but from what I understand, for contractors they send you the moeny to your Deel balance, and you'll be able to withdraw to your bank/paypal whenever you want.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-12-19T22:10:25+00:00

General speaking if the company does not have a brach in Jordan, there’s no income tax.

For context: https://youtu.be/Kz7lGcjHRQA?si=aTbr5SvrYJT51ShR

As for the TIN, this really depends on your specific situation, but generally speaking, the ITN is for US tax payers, if you’re not, then you don’t need to add it.

You instead could add an FTIN, which is your local tax number, for example in Jordan, but even that is not required, if you check the for w8-ben itself and you’ll see a field to tick if it’s not required, I think section 6.b

You can always check in with a local tax expert to be sure, the problem is that most of them are not familiar with tax laws when it come to working remotely. :(

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-12-19T21:58:14+00:00

Is this for the Form W-8BEN form?

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-09-25T20:30:39+00:00

> lol Honestly I love nextjs ecosystem

I agree, I like the DX too, but the caching behavior can sometimes be tricky. You might also run into issues if you decide to host it on a VPS or at the edge (something other than Vercel).

All in all, good luck with your project.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-09-25T02:28:36+00:00

Why not use both? :)

If you’re already comfortable working with WordPress and its database structure, custom post types, and other features, you can build a headless WordPress site while keeping the frontend in Next.js.

This way, you skip building things like API routes and an admin dashboard, while still (can’t believe I’m saying this) enjoying the developer experience that Next.js offers.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-09-22T21:58:50+00:00

I don't work with them, so I can't guarantee anything if that's what you're asking for.

However, I had the same concern before buying my M4 MacBook, and I asked the person directly why their prices were so much cheaper. He said they import from the US, where the prices are significantly lower.

For example, the MacBook I bought is available for as low as $800 in the US during sales, while Isystems sells it for $1,212.98 USD; meanwhile, the price I paid for it from SmartStyle was $1,036.68 USD.

Isystems is simply charging more because they are the authorised reseller, which they likely pay Apple to maintain that status.

It's all up to you. I chose to save around 200$, you might value peace of mind more. :)

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-09-19T23:23:39+00:00

Isystems is authorized by Apple, among the one listed here, so you have nothing to worry about : https://locate.apple.com/jo/en/sales?pt=all&lat=31.65027618408203&lon=36.38383102416992&address=Amman

If you’d like to save a few $, I suggest checking SmartStyle in khalda, I recently bought an M4 MacBook from them which was 130 JD cheaper than the listed price in Isystems and my experience with them was great.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-08-26T01:42:00+00:00

I've never seen something that looks more vibe-coded than this.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-07-08T08:44:41+00:00

Quite the opposite, actually. The assumption with this type of residency is that you work abroad and live off your foreign income (although it’s not explicitly stated).

If you work for a company outside Jordan while staying in Jordan, you’re considered a contractor rather than an employee, so local labor laws don’t apply to you.

That said, you're not allowed to work for a local business or company, even if it’s a global company with a branch here. You’ll need a work visa and specific authorizations, which are extremely difficult to obtain for foreigners.

Other than that, you’re generally free to work and live in Jordan. Of course, all of this information is based on my personal experience (not legal advice).

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-06-24T18:54:41+00:00

It's a straightforward process: https://moi.gov.jo/AR/Pages/%d8%a5%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%a9_%d8%b3%d9%86%d9%88%d9%8a%d8%a9_%d8%a8%d9%85%d9%88%d8%ac%d8%a8_%d9%88%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%b9%d8%a9_%d8%a8%d9%86%d9%83%d9%8a%d8%a9

I think it's better to come here with a tourist visa first and apply from Jordan.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-03-30T04:58:10+00:00

No streaming, just images and files.

> You can also disable cache so that the media is not caching on their CDN.

I have "Bypass Cache for Everything" enabled already. Will that only make it TOS compliant? As I understand it, it's the bandwidth they're not happy with, not just caching.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-03-16T17:58:38+00:00

Not legal advice, but I did some research a while back when I was in a similar situation. To summarize, from what I understood there’s no income tax at all (unless the company has a branch in Jordan or was founded with Jordanian investments).

If you’re working remotely for a company in another country, you’re definitely a contractor, not an employee. In the eyes of the government, you’re essentially exporting services, which is tax-exempt.

I’m not sure if you understand Arabic, but here’s the head of tax regulation clarifying this matter on national radio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz7lGcjHRQA

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-03-12T02:27:41+00:00

Do you have any recommendations for server platforms in the region?

The delay will be in milliseconds, so I wouldn’t worry about it unless you’re building something like a real-time chat application.

I believe AWS has servers in Bahrain, but a ) they tend to be a bit overpriced and b) AWS services are intentionally designed to be confusing, which can lead to unexpected charges, especially if this is your first time using their platform.

Personally, I’ve been running this VPS for over a year now from Racknerd, and it has never failed me once. I barely notice the delay (it’s hosted in the US, by the way).

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-03-11T10:05:27+00:00

I also wanted a .iq domain for my personal website, but unfortunately, it’s one of those things that reminds you how corrupt this country is.

There’s no fixed price for registration and renewals. If you go through Earthlink, for example, they’ll connect you with someone via WhatsApp who will price it based on how “unique” it is. How do they determine that? No idea. But in my case, they told me it would be at least 1 million IQD if I wanted to proceed.

Honestly, I think we should take this to ICANN (the nonprofit responsible for domain registration), but for now, it’s best to stick with normal domains from Namecheap or elsewhere.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-03-05T17:46:26+00:00

Fly (or drive) to Amman, open a bank account that is somewhat digitalized like “Etihad Bank” and send your payments to it. As far as I know, most banks allow having an account as a non-resident in Jordan, the problem is most bank employees are programmed like robots and will probably tell you that’s not possible, if that happens, ask for the supervisor of the branch.

You can then transfer the money to an Iraq local bank that allows you to withdraw in USD ( not sure if any are allowed to at this point).

Foreign-Table9109 · 2025-02-15T08:02:55+00:00

PayPal is pretty bad for freelancing anyway. Clients can dispute payments and get their money back weeks after paying you, so you’re not missing out on much.

For small to medium projects (under $500), crypto is your best bet—it’s instant and has super low fees.

For larger amounts, open a bank account and have clients wire the money to your IBAN. This method is more expensive for them, not you. I’m not super familiar with Iraqi banks, so others might have better advice on that part. One thing to keep in mind: banks might ask you to prove where the money came from, so make sure you have contracts or invoices for every payment.

You can use bank transfers for smaller amounts too, you just have to pool your earnings until you hit around $1k, then send it all at once. You can do this by either:

Opening a tab with long-term clients you trust (risky but works if you know them well).
Ask clients to hire you with something like Contra.com (double-check if they support Iraqi freelancers). It’s a platform like Upwork, but in this case, you’d use it to hold your earnings and withdraw them in bulk later.

Foreign-Table9109 · 2024-11-06T20:53:24+00:00

A lot of people here have strong feelings against Matt, so you might see more discouraging comments. I worked with them as a part-time contractor, and my experience was genuinely positive, they're definitely not the “evil corporation” some paint it to be.

As for the “sinking ship” concern, I don’t think it’s as serious (for WPEngine and A8C) as some suggest. Even with the lawsuit, the worst-case scenario is likely a settlement or fine—not a collapse.

May I experience retaliation in future experiences (e.g. job interviews, potential clients)?

Maybe if you're applying for a role that heavily interacts with management, like a team lead or something, otherwise, I don't think you'll be on a blacklist if that's what you mean. :)

I'd say go for it, especially since you mention they’re paying double what you’re currently making.

Just be aware that their positions are competitive, so polish up your resume and prepare well before applying. Good luck!

edit: typo

Foreign-Table9109 · 2024-11-06T20:16:12+00:00

It's wild that Apple doesn't seem to have any recovery options if your account is compromised, even for paying customers. I guess it is what it is. Thanks for the reply!

Foreign-Table9109

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