Corporate Relocation,for Both Sides of the Offer
A relocation package is a budget with your name on it, and the only way to judge it is to know what the move actually costs. These guides price the household-goods leg from our model, explain the tax treatment, and set out what is usually negotiable.
- 3-bed, 1,500 miles
- $7,762 – $10,350
- household goods, full-service, our model
- Packing labor
- $40–$50/hr
- per packer, plus materials
- Tax treatment
- Taxable wages
- most employer-paid moving costs, since 2018
- Package shapes
- 3
- lump sum, direct bill, capped reimbursement
Start here
Start with the number the model can give you. A three-bedroom home moving 1,500 miles with full-service movers is $7,762 – $10,350, transport only; add packing at $40–$50 per packer-hour, storage if the dates do not line up, and the household leg is priced. A lump sum that does not cover that is a pay cut dressed as a benefit.
Then the tax. Since 2018, employer-paid or reimbursed moving expenses are taxable wages to most employees, with the exception of active-duty military moving under orders. That is why gross-ups exist: the employer adds enough to the payment to cover the tax on it, and a package without one is worth less than its headline.
Packages come in three shapes: a lump sum you spend as you like, a direct-bill move where the employer pays the mover, and a capped reimbursement. Each shifts risk differently, and the negotiation guide below walks through what to ask for in order of value, starting with the structure and ending with the repayment clause.
Corporate Relocation guides
6 guides in this section, every figure from the published model.
7 min readNewest
Corporate Relocation Packages: What Is Usually Covered
The three package structures, the seven usual components, repayment clauses, and why an $8,625 move needs a $12,321 gross-up at an assumed 30% tax rate.
Sep 24, 2026
7 min read
Employee Relocation Costs: What Employers Actually Pay
A relocation cost stack for HR: household goods from $1,688 to $25,200 by home size and distance in our model, packing labor, and the lines only policy sets.
Sep 24, 2026
6 min read
How to Negotiate a Relocation Package (and What to Ask)
Negotiate before you accept, price the move first (a 3-bedroom home at 1,500 miles is $7,762 – $10,350 in our model), then ask in this order.
Sep 24, 2026
Pages in this section
What to know before you start
The five things that decide most of the outcome in this part of a move, in the order you will meet them.
- 1
Price the move before you price the offer
Run the route and home size through the calculator, add packing hours and any storage, and you have the household-goods number. Compare the lump sum with that, not with a round figure that sounded generous.
- 2
Direct bill beats lump sum for big households
When the employer pays the mover directly, the cost risk sits with them and the move is usually a managed one with a surveyed estimate. A lump sum makes you the project manager and leaves you holding any overrun.
- 3
Ask about the gross-up first
A taxable lump sum without a gross-up loses a large slice to withholding. Whether the employer grosses up, and at what rate, is the single most valuable line in the package.
- 4
Read the repayment clause
Most packages require repayment if you leave within a set period, often prorated. Know the length, whether it is prorated, and whether it applies if the employer ends the role.
- 5
Temporary housing and two trips are real costs
A house-hunting trip, thirty to ninety days of temporary housing, final travel for the family and vehicle shipping are the lines that lump sums most often omit. Put each one on the list.
Corporate Relocation: questions people ask
What does a typical corporate relocation package include?
The household-goods move, travel for the family, a house-hunting trip, temporary housing for a period, and often help with a home sale or lease break and a miscellaneous allowance. Executive packages add more; entry-level packages are often a lump sum that covers a fraction of the list.
Is a relocation package taxable?
For most employees, yes: since 2018 employer-paid or reimbursed moving expenses are taxable wages. Active-duty military moving under orders are the main exception. Many employers gross up the payment to cover the tax; ask whether yours does.
How much should I ask for in a relocation package?
Enough to cover the move as priced, not a round number. A three-bedroom home moving 1,500 miles is $7,762 – $10,350 in our model before packing, storage, travel and temporary housing. Build the list, price each line, and present the total.
Lump sum or direct bill: which is better?
Direct bill, for most households with furniture: the employer carries the cost risk and the move is managed with a surveyed estimate. A lump sum suits small moves where you can come in under it and keep the difference, if it is grossed up.
What happens if I leave the company after relocating?
Most packages have a repayment clause, commonly one to two years and often prorated. Read the length, the proration and whether it applies if the employer ends the role, before you sign the offer rather than after.
More guides
All 14 topics →How this section is written. Every cost figure on this page and in these guides is generated from the same published model that powers the calculator, and every carrier figure comes from the federal register with the snapshot date shown. We do not operate trucks, we collect no customer reviews, and no company pays for placement.