Question 1

What is expat tax planning, exactly?

Accepted Answer

Deciding your tax position in advance rather than reporting it afterwards. Good tax planning advice covers when you move, what status you hold, when you realise gains, which reliefs you claim and how it all gets filed — arranged so the outcome is the one you wanted.

Question 2

When should I start planning a move?

Accepted Answer

As early as you can, and ideally at least a full tax year ahead. Most of the highest-value decisions — timing a departure, realising gains on the right side of the line, restructuring assets before arrival — close off once you have moved.

Question 3

Is it too late if I have already moved?

Accepted Answer

No, but the options narrow. Split-year claims, FIG elections and treaty claims can all still be made after the fact. What you lose is the ability to choose timing, which is where most of the value sits.

Question 4

Can you plan both a departure and a future return?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and they should be planned together. The temporary non-residence rules mean a return inside roughly five years can pull back gains and distributions that were tax-free while you were away — so the return date belongs in the original plan.

Question 5

Do you handle the filing as well as the advice?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A plan that nobody implements is just a document. We prepare and file the returns, claims and elections that put the plan into effect, and keep it running year on year.

Question 6

How much does planning cost?

Accepted Answer

We agree a fixed fee before any work starts, based on the complexity of your situation. You will always know what you are paying and what it covers.

Question 7

Do I still pay UK tax if I am non-resident?

Accepted Answer

The starting point is yes on UK-sourced income — rent, UK employment, some pensions — even once you are non-resident. Depending on your circumstances, treaty relief or specific non-resident rules may reduce or remove the charge on some of it. Foreign income and gains generally fall out of scope.

Question 8

Does the UK have an exit tax?

Accepted Answer

Not as such. What it has is the temporary non-residence rule, which can pull income and gains you realised while abroad back into UK charge if you return within roughly five years. In practice it does a similar job, which is why the return date belongs in the plan from the start.

Question 9

What is the FIG regime?

Accepted Answer

Foreign Income and Gains relief. It lets qualifying new arrivals exempt foreign income and gains from UK tax for their first four years of residence, subject to a preceding period of non-residence. Whether you qualify turns on your residence history, so it is worth confirming before you land rather than after.

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