[pmjordan]

That's a bit of a different beast to what the original commenters were suggesting. Engagements of that caliber usually involve outsourcing whole projects or subprojects (web presence for product X, whatever). Of course, there's overlap between what you can get a remote employee/contractor do vs. what you can "outsource". Note that levies might still be due on services performed across certain countries' borders. (much like customs duties on goods)

I could also imagine a kind of "talent agency" model, though that doesn't seem to have caught on in tech. (Yet? I'd sign up for that if it provided me with a steady-ish flow of high-quality gigs and sorted out all the legal/tax paperwork for me.)

[ricardobeat]

Toptal (http://toptal.com) is trying to fill that void. Also heard of http://www.10xmanagement.com/.

Back on topic, that's exactly what the original commenter (zura) suggested. You can hire a foreign company for contract work without needing to hand over an entire project - you'll be paying for deliverables/features instead of time, but the end result is the same. AFAIK you have to report it to the IRS, but don't owe any taxes on it.