There is no personal income tax here, so the cost of a hire is salary plus statutory contributions and nothing else. I reviewed 10 providers in 2 groups, and each entry covers the base, the scope, and the point of difference. Only 1 of the 10 publishes a fee, so expect to work from quotes.
Why Antigua and Barbuda Is Worth an EOR Hire
An Antigua and Barbuda employer of record operates in a 2-island Eastern Caribbean state, with St. John’s on Antigua as its capital and Codrington as the main settlement on Barbuda. English is the official language, and courts follow common law under the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court. The World Bank estimates about 94,200 residents and a 2025 GDP of $2.3 billion, with 5.0% growth. The East Caribbean dollar (XCD) has been pegged to the US dollar since 1976. The country is part of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). Tourism, yachting, financial services and construction drive its economy.
Resorts and hospitality groups hire most often, followed by marine and yachting firms, financial and offshore businesses, and builders. Remote employers add support and professional roles, drawn by an English-speaking workforce and working hours that line up with US Eastern daylight time. The formal labor market is small, so candidates with niche skills are scarce. An EOR in Antigua and Barbuda lets a foreign company employ through a partner without incorporating or registering with the boards itself.
An employer of record is an outside firm that becomes the legal employer of staff working for a foreign client and takes on local obligations. Daily direction stays with the client. Under the Labor Code (Cap. 27), staff must receive a written statement of terms within 10 days. Payroll runs in XCD, and the employer registers with the Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) within 7 days of the first hire. The Medical Benefits Scheme (MBS) is a separate registration, and the Education Levy is withheld alongside both. Non-nationals need a work permit, and there is no income tax step.
The 2 lists below split 5 providers from the Anywherer database from 5 global platforms with country pages. Only Solutions Are We Inc. shows an office in St. John’s; the rest serve the islands from abroad. Each block sets out scope and strengths, which is worth weighing against incorporation, where company registration and 2 board registrations come before the first payslip.
INSIGHT: What does an Antigua and Barbuda employer actually pay on top of salary?
With no personal income tax to withhold, the cost comes down to 3 statutory lines, and only 2 of them fall on the employer. Social security also stops at an earnings ceiling.
- Social security, private sector: 9% employer and 7% employee since January 1, 2025, on earnings up to XCD 6,500 a month (ABSSB).
- Medical Benefits: 3.5% each for staff aged 16 to 59. For ages 60 to 69, only the employee pays 2.5%, and nothing is due for ages 70 and over (MBS).
- Education Levy: withheld from the employee only, at 2.5% above an exemption and 5% on monthly pay over XCD 5,000 (Board of Education).
- Employer total for most staff: 12.5% of pay. The Inland Revenue Department’s list of taxes it runs has no income tax line after it (checked October 2026).
How to Choose an EOR Partner in Antigua and Barbuda
Only 1 provider has a local office, and registration runs through 2 boards, each with its own deadlines. The contribution rate also rose every year until 2025. So test any EOR, Antigua and Barbuda included, with one question. What is the current employer social security rate, and when did it take effect? Even the Board’s own FAQ page still quotes the 2021 split, so an undated answer usually comes from a guide.
Global platforms bring uniform paperwork, 1 dashboard, and the same standard across many markets, which pays off when this country is one hire among several. Acting as your Antigua and Barbuda employer of record is also simpler than in most places. Contracts are in English, and no income tax is withheld once the contributions are right.
Then ask what buyers often skip. Whose name appears as employer on the contract, and is that company the provider’s own? Is that company registered with both the ABSSB and the MBS, and at what rate and ceiling? And who handles the work permit when the hire is not a national? Get all 4 answers in writing, because only Playroll posts a fee, and quotes are the only fair comparison.
INSIGHT: Why published Antigua and Barbuda contribution rates disagree so widely
The social security rate rose by half a point each January from 2018 to 2025. Most online figures are real rates from the wrong year, not simple mistakes.
- Current private-sector rate: 16%, split 9% employer and 7% employee. It took effect on January 1, 2025 as the last step of Statutory Instrument 2016 No. 60.
- Online guidance puts the employer share anywhere from 5.5% to 10%. A rate quoted without its year cannot tell you which step of the schedule it belongs to.
- A payroll still on the 2021 split underpays by 1 point on each side every month, and late payments draw a 10% surcharge (ABSSB).
- Ask each provider for the rate, the ceiling, and the effective date together. If it cannot give all 3, it is reading from a guide.
Sources:
checked October 2026
5 Providers Offering Antigua and Barbuda EOR Services
I checked each firm for a stated employment, EOR, or payroll service reaching the islands. The criteria were XCD payroll, registration and contributions with both boards, contracts under the Labor Code, and work permit capability. Fit with hospitality, marine, and professional services, plus pricing transparency, also counted. To be plain about this group: 1 member shows a local office, none publishes a fee, and the Anywherer team supplied and checked the list. Picking an EOR in Antigua and Barbuda from it still starts with a quote.
Providers appear in A-to-Z order. The sequence says nothing about quality, preference, or ranking.
Global EOR Services
Provider Type:
Referral site; no base or legal entity named
Company Description:
Global EOR Services presents itself as an EOR covering 195+ countries, but its site names no company, address or employing entity. Its sign-up links lead to partner platforms, and its country guides skip Antigua and Barbuda.
Key Specialty Area:
Guides and referrals to partner EOR platforms
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Free country guides and an EOR comparison page
- Newsletter tracking labor law changes worldwide
- Referral links to several established EOR platforms
Scope of Services:
- Referrals to Payoneer Workforce, Rise, and Oyster
- Cost comparisons of EOR versus entity setup
- Knowledge center articles on global hiring
Our Verdict
I would treat Global EOR Services as a reading list, not as your hire’s employer.
Hire Resolve
Provider Type:
Global, South African recruitment firm
Company Description:
Hire Resolve pairs recruitment with a global EOR line that adds executive search, salary benchmarking, and a 12-month replacement guarantee. Antigua and Barbuda is not named on its site, so I would ask about coverage first.
Key Specialty Area:
Candidate search and employment from one firm
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Free re-hire if a recruit leaves within 12 months
- Lower recruitment fees once you use its EOR
- Salary benchmarks shared with clients at no cost
Scope of Services:
- Compliant contracts and payroll in local currency
- Statutory deductions, reporting and leave administration
- Specialist and executive recruitment across many markets
Our Verdict
Hire Resolve makes sense to me only if finding the person is harder than employing them.
Solutions Are We Inc.
Provider Type:
Local (Antigua and Barbuda), office on Factory Road, St. John’s
Company Description:
Solutions Are We Inc. is a business support company based in the Bougainvillea Building on Factory Road, St. John’s. Its Antigua and Barbuda EOR service makes it the legal employer, with payroll, HR, compliance, and accounting offered alongside.
Key Specialty Area:
Only provider here with a St. John’s office
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Office in St. John’s with a local phone line
- One partner for payroll, HR, and bookkeeping
- Works with both international and local companies
Scope of Services:
- Legal employer for staff without a local entity
- Payroll processing and employee administration
- Local registrations, statutory filings and accounting
Our Verdict
For a resort or marine business wanting someone nearby, Solutions Are We Inc. is my first call.
TopSource Worldwide
Provider Type:
Global, EOR in 164 countries
Company Description:
TopSource Worldwide runs EOR and managed payroll for 164 countries through its Portico platform, with HRIS and ATS integrations. Its Antigua and Barbuda page describes payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance in general terms only.
Key Specialty Area:
Portico platform with HRIS and ATS integrations
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Payroll and EOR managed inside one platform
- Integrations with leading HRIS and ATS tools
- Support for moving staff between markets
Scope of Services:
- EOR hiring with no entity of your own
- Payroll outsourcing where you already have an entity
- Contractor payments and fractional HR support
Our Verdict
TopSource Worldwide fits my plan when payroll elsewhere already runs through Portico.
Veepay Global
Provider Type:
Global, UK and US contact numbers
Company Description:
Veepay Global is an employment provider rather than a payments app. It hires staff on local contracts through its network of entities, sold as PEO. Payroll covers 150+ countries, though Antigua and Barbuda is not named.
Key Specialty Area:
Employment and entity setup from one contact
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- One dedicated contact for every service line
- Payroll even for a team of one
- Entity setup offered once you outgrow PEO
Scope of Services:
- In-country employment that it markets as PEO
- Global payroll in more than 150 countries
- Company registration and local reporting support
Our Verdict
Veepay Global stays a fallback on my list until it names its local employing entity.
5 Global Platforms Offering Employer of Record in Antigua and Barbuda
Each of these 5 platforms lists Antigua and Barbuda as one market in a catalog of 100 or more. In return, you get a single contract template, a single dashboard, and a single compliance standard across countries. The caveat is real: published detail on this market is unusually inconsistent. One platform even gives different social security rates on 2 of its own pages. Read each country page as sales material, then ask which entity employs the worker and what rate it applies.
Providers appear in A-to-Z order. The sequence says nothing about quality, preference, or ranking.
Papaya Global
Provider Type:
Global payroll and payments company
Company Description:
Papaya Global combines global payroll, EOR, and workforce payments on one platform. Its Countrypedia keeps a payroll and benefits guide for Antigua and Barbuda, which I use for scope rather than rates.
Key Specialty Area:
Payroll and workforce payments in one platform
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Salaries and other payments run through one system
- Countrypedia guides for budgeting a first hire
- Built for teams paying staff in many countries
Scope of Services:
- Employer of Record for staff without an entity
- Payroll outsourcing for firms with local entities
- Cross-border contractor and workforce payments
Our Verdict
Papaya Global earns a place when finance wants payroll and payments in one ledger.
Playroll
Provider Type:
Global
Company Description:
Playroll keeps a hiring guide for the country, updated on October 7, 2026, plus separate EOR and payroll pages. Those pages quote different social security rates, so I rely on them only for process and price.
Key Specialty Area:
Published monthly fee for this market
Service Cost:
From $399 per employee per month
Top Advantages
- Only published fee for this country on the list
- Hiring guide refreshed in October 2026
- Fee billed separately from statutory costs
Scope of Services:
- Contracts and payroll as the legal employer
- Social security and medical benefits filings
- Work permit support for non-national hires
Our Verdict
Playroll is my benchmark quote, since its published fee shows what the market charges.
*As pricing is subject to change, we are listing prices as they stand in October 2026
RemotePeople
Provider Type:
Global
Company Description:
RemotePeople runs a dedicated Antigua and Barbuda EOR page with an onboarding timeline, a worked cost example, and the no-income-tax point stated clearly. Its introduction and rate table disagree on the employer percentage, so I take only the scope from it.
Key Specialty Area:
Worked cost example for a local hire
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Timeline from signed contract to first payslip
- Sourcing, employment and later incorporation together
- Work permit handling for non-CARICOM hires
Scope of Services:
- Contract drafting and onboarding as legal employer
- Social Security and Medical Benefits registration
- Payroll, statutory benefits and termination support
Our Verdict
RemotePeople is the platform I would test first for a single remote support hire.
Rivermate
Provider Type:
Global
Company Description:
Rivermate sells EOR, payroll, and contractor management from one dashboard and has grown by buying other EOR firms. Its country guides no longer list Antigua and Barbuda, so a written coverage check is the first step.
Key Specialty Area:
One dashboard across employees and contractors
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Reviews averaging 4.9 on G2, it reports
- One account for contractors and salaried staff
- Acquired EOR firms widen its country reach
Scope of Services:
- Employment contracts issued as the employer of record
- International payroll with statutory deductions
- Contractor onboarding, invoicing and payments
Our Verdict
Unless Rivermate already runs your payroll elsewhere, I see little reason to start with it here.
Skuad
Provider Type:
Global, a Payoneer company in 160+ countries
Company Description:
Skuad, now part of Payoneer, publishes the most legally detailed guide in this set. It names the Labor Code amendments and the Section F4 work permit, though its contribution figures still need checking against the Board.
Key Specialty Area:
Most legally specific country guide in the set
Service Cost:
Quote-based
Top Advantages
- Labor Code sections cited throughout its guide
- Work permit route explained for non-nationals
- Employees and contractors managed in one account
Scope of Services:
- Local employment agreements and onboarding steps
- Payroll with Social Security and Medical Benefits filing
- Contractor management and international payouts
Our Verdict
For a legally careful buyer, Skuad’s guide is where I would start the conversation.
INSIGHT: Comparing quotes when just 1 provider shows a price
Of the 10 providers, only Playroll posts a fee. A written quote broken into the same parts is the only fair way to compare the rest.
- Start from the statutory load: 9% social security plus 3.5% Medical Benefits for most staff, with no income tax behind it (ABSSB).
- Ask for separate lines: management fee, pass-through for all 3 schemes, work permit costs for non-nationals, and any currency charge.
- Ask for the name of the company that signs the contract and whether the provider owns it or rents a partner’s.
- Ask for the rate and its effective date in the quote itself. An 8% employer line means the provider is still working from 2021.
If your search for EOR in Antigua and Barbuda runs wider than one state, my Barbados EOR guide covers the closest peer. Comparing what an employer pays in each is a quick and useful exercise.
For the region’s largest economy, see my notes on an employer of record in Trinidad and Tobago. Many Caribbean operations are based in Port of Spain.
The Jamaica EOR services page offers a useful contrast, since Jamaica does tax salaries. CARICOM membership does not mean a shared tax position, and among its members, the absence of personal income tax here is the exception.
What to Know About EOR Antigua and Barbuda: FAQs
Which labor rules matter most when hiring here?
The Labor Code, Cap. 27, works within a common law system, and contracts are in English. Staff must get written terms within 10 days, and probation is capped at 3 months unless a collective agreement allows more. Notice must cover at least one pay interval, up to 30 days, and vacation accrues at 1 day per month after probation. Redundancy after 1 year earns at least 1 day’s basic pay per month served.
Is there really no income tax on salaries?
Yes. Personal income tax ended in April 2016, and the Inland Revenue Department’s list of the taxes it administers has no line for it. Employers therefore run no pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) and net pay sits close to gross after contributions and the Education Levy. The department still administers a separate withholding tax, so check any fee paid to a non-resident.
What does an employer contribute?
The employer pays 9% social security on earnings up to XCD 6,500 a month. That rate has applied since January 1, 2025, according to the Social Security Board. Medical Benefits add 3.5% for staff aged 16 to 59, while the Education Levy comes from the employee alone. Registration runs through 2 boards, and social security is paid within 14 days of month-end.
Do foreign hires need a work permit?
CARICOM nationals holding a CARICOM Skills Certificate can work without one under the single market rules. Other non-nationals need a work permit through the Labour Department before they start, and I found no official processing time published. In practice, the candidate’s nationality decides how soon the job can begin.
How do I choose between these providers?
Ask whether the provider employs through its own local company or a partner, and whether that company is registered with both boards. It should quote the current rate with an effective date, the contract under the Labor Code, and an explanation of work permit handling. Since only Playroll publishes a fee, ask every other provider for a quote with the fee, statutory pass-through, and permit costs on separate lines.
Helen is Anywherer’s Market Analyst & Content Researcher, with extensive experience in analyzing global employment markets and HR technology trends. She is skilled at turning complex market data into clear, well-researched insights that inform every piece of content. With a strong grasp of the EOR, PEO, and international hiring space, Helen plays a key role in keeping Anywherer’s research accurate, up to date, and genuinely useful for readers.
