Why Route Invoices Through a US Company?
The short answer: many US clients—especially midsize companies and those in regulated industries—simply won’t process international invoices. Their procurement system is built around W-9 forms, US bank details, and domestic payment runs. A freelancer in Leeds asking for a wire to a UK account can trigger weeks of compliance back-and-forth, or get the contract blocked outright.
Panorama Systems acts as the merchant of record. The client pays a US entity, receives a clean US invoice, and never deals with exchange rates or foreign banking. You wait a few extra days and accept that a percentage of the invoice value won’t reach you. The fee is disclosed upfront, typically a single-digit percentage. It’s not free money.
What You Actually Get (and What You Don’t)
You get a domestic US invoice address, which removes the largest bureaucratic hurdle to closing US contracts. The service does not employ you; you remain a freelancer operating from Leeds via your own business entity. Panorama Systems issues no tax advice, withholds no US taxes on your behalf, and files no 1099 under your name. Your tax relationship is solely with HMRC.
You still handle self-assessment, VAT registration if applicable, and any sector-specific compliance in health-tech or data work. The platform will not defend you if a client disputes the work—it is not escrow. You’re trading a slice of revenue for cleaner accounts-receivable on the other side of the Atlantic.
The Mechanics: From Invoice to Your Bank
You negotiate the contract and scope directly with your US client. Once agreed, you provide Panorama Systems’ US details as the billing party. The client pays into a US bank account. After the payment clears, Panorama processes your payout via your chosen method.
You can receive funds in GBP through Wise, a traditional SWIFT transfer, a local UK bank transfer that lands in your British account, or in USDT. The settlement currency is GBP, so you avoid a second conversion inside your own bank. Timings vary; no method is instant, and weekends or US holidays can add delays.
Living with the Trade-offs
Every intermediary adds latency and cost. If your US clients already pay your UK entity directly, routing through Panorama likely makes no sense. The service earns its keep when a contract is worth enough to justify the fee, and the alternative is losing the deal.
Health-tech and data projects in Leeds often involve US patient data standards or statistical workflows that American consultancies prefer to subcontract. In those situations, clients rarely bend their payment stack. Using a US merchant of record is a practical workaround, not a lifestyle. You pay for the convenience and remain fully responsible for your own business on UK soil.
