The Three Common Ways — and Their Trade-Offs
Many Kutaisi freelancers begin by sending a simple PDF invoice directly from their home country. The client gets a foreign document, often triggering extra review in accounts payable. Payment may require a wire transfer that takes days and eats into the total with intermediary bank fees. It works for some, but the administrative overhead can strain a client relationship over time.
Others turn to freelance marketplaces that handle billing and collections. These platforms take a significant percentage off the top and sometimes hold funds until the project is approved. The convenience is real, but the cost per project is high and the freelancer has little control over the process.
A third path is forming a Georgian LLC to present a more formal business face. This adds layers of accounting, tax filing, and legal structure that can be overkill for a single freelancer or a small team just starting out. The setup effort and ongoing compliance often outweigh the benefit, especially for short or irregular contracts. None of these routes is wrong, but each asks someone to absorb extra steps — either the freelancer in setting up a company, or the client in dealing with an overseas wire.
A Fourth Route: Merchant of Record
A merchant of record changes the flow of the invoice. Instead of the freelancer billing from Georgia, Panorama Systems Florida LLC — a US company — issues the invoice to the client. The client pays a domestic entity with a US bank account, so their accounts payable team treats it like any other local vendor. There is no cross-border wire, no currency conversion on the client’s side, and no extra compliance paperwork.
For the freelancer, the trade-off is a service fee deducted from each payment. In return, they keep their independence: Panorama Systems is not an employer, does not provide tax advice, and does not withhold any taxes. The freelancer reports income in Georgia the same way they would with any other self-directed work. The model shifts the administrative burden away from both the freelancer and the client, leaving only the work relationship to manage.
Payouts in Kutaisi: USDT Only
In Georgia, and specifically from Kutaisi, bank-based payouts — such as Wise, SWIFT, SEPA, or local transfer — are not an option. The only settlement method is USDT, a stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. Freelancers must provide a USDT wallet address on a supported network: TRC-20, ERC-20, BEP-20, TON, or Solana.
Using a stablecoin reduces the volatility risk common with other cryptocurrencies, but it still requires comfort with a crypto wallet and an understanding of network fees. For many in Kutaisi, this fits with an already digital-first approach to receiving international income. The payout is triggered once the client’s payment clears, and the freelancer converts USDT to GEL or holds as they see fit. Before using the service, it’s worth comparing network fees — TRC-20 is often cheaper than ERC-20, for example — to keep costs predictable.
Getting Started from Kutaisi
The process is straightforward. A freelancer signs up with Panorama Systems, provides their USDT wallet details, and submits the invoice information. Panorama generates an invoice from its US entity and sends it to the client. Once the client pays, the amount minus the service fee is settled to the freelancer’s wallet. There’s no minimum commitment, and the freelancer can use the service for as many or as few projects as needed.
Freelancers should keep their own records for Georgian tax authorities, as Panorama does not calculate or remit local taxes. The timezone in Kutaisi lines up well with US business hours, especially the East Coast, meaning there is rarely a long wait for a reply during the workday. For freelancers whose clients value a simple US invoicing experience, this adds an option that was otherwise missing from the local market.