The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has presented his Summer Economic Statement, a de facto budget, and this article is an overview of the main points with particular reference to any announcements or changes that are relevant to those living out of the UK.
When you relocate from one country to another there is a great deal you need to think about. These include the practical problems of shipping your possessions, finding a place to live, finding new schools for children, new employment and so on.
No doubt you will have lists of things to do but one area that is often overlooked is the financial side. It may not be exciting but you need to be aware of these issues to avoid any nasty surprise tax bills, especially in respect of UAE income or offshore investments.
Getting it right will save you money. Getting it wrong can be expensive.
I provide an exit planning service for people relocating to the UK and this professional service, with a personalised advice and a written report you can refer back to, can save you both money and headaches.
This article was updated in April 2024 so please see the latest version:
Moving from the UAE to the UK? You need a financial exit plan.
If you are unsure as to whether a move to the UK is right for you, I work with a expert counsellor who supports expats in making life decisions. She has the personal experience to give you the guidance to make the right decisions for you and your family. Contact me for a no-obligation referral.
I am a highly-qualified and experienced Independent Financial Adviser with over 30 years of experience, the last 18 in the UAE and prior to that in the UK. I provide a fee-based personal financial planning service to expatriates resident in the GCC. I also comment on all kinds of financial isues in The National newspaper and have a regular column where I answer reader questions. You’ll see my name in other UAE publications from time to time. My business motto is proper advice for nice people.
Please take a look at the many other useful articles on this website.
HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs) has announced that it will be giving special treatment to non-residents who are forced to stay in the UK exceeding their permitted number of days. With quite a few expats unable to leave due to closed borders and lock downs, I was expecting an announcement and this is helpful news.
This is the first budget of this Government and the first by Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, less than a month after taking over at the Treasury.
This article is a brief overview of some of the main points with particular reference to any changes that have relevance to those living outside of the UK. The UK press will cover many points in detail but much of this is not directly relevant to expats so this article focuses of the relevant points for us. I have included specific measure related to COVID-19 as this has a significant impact on the economy and a wide-ranging, knock-on effect.
The UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, has today delivered his Spring Statement. Less formal or broad in scope than the Budget, which moved to the Autumn last year, this is not about announcements on tax or spending, but more about economic forecasts.
The Chancellor himself describes this as a ‘non event’ from a financial point of view but since 1975, the government has been legally obliged to produce its projections for the economy and the public finances twice a year. That’s why have a main budget and this lower key announcement.
The question for expats, as ever, is how does it affect us?
Breaking news.
It has been announced that the UK Government will shortly be issuing a new consultation document in which it will propose that the rate of Stamp Duty, the tax payable on purchase of a property, will increase further for non-residents who buy in England and Northern Ireland.
The UK has a progressive tax system and so the rate of tax payable increases as income increases. All UK residents have a Personal Allowance which means that the first part of their income is free from UK income tax. For the tax year 2020/21 this is £12,500 but you need to be aware of a change in the system.
The Personal Allowance is also available to people who are not resident in the UK provided they are a citizen of a European Economic Area (EEA) country, which includes all British passport-holders. It also applies to anyone who has worked for the UK government at any time during the relevant tax year.
There is however a change in the way that non-residents, expatriates, claim this allowance which has not been widely publicised so if you are UK non-resident for tax purposes and have income arising in the UK, such as rental income, you need to read on.
It is sadly all too common for people to get into debt whilst living in the UAE, for multiple reasons, so this article is designed to give you the steps to work through to deal with any debt problems you may have.
It is really important that this is dealt with as non-payment of monies owed is a criminal issue under UAE law and can lead to serious consequences.
These are the steps you need to take to get back in control and to deal with the banks.
Many of us muddle through our financial lives, not focusing on what matters the most, so this article is designed to help you sort out your financial priorities.
You have probably thought that there are some issues you need to address but it is common to be stuck in limbo, not quite sure what to tackle first, or a to have a vague to-do list but are unsure where to start.
I am often asked what are the most important topics to focus on so this is a guide to what you may need to look at if you haven’t reviewed your personal finances before, or haven’t done so for some time. What should you do now and what is most important?
All too frequently I see people who have been sold long-term savings plans without having been given the right advice to address more immediate issues. The most important consideration is to focus on what could go wrong tomorrow and then to take steps to protect you and your family. This doesn’t have to be expensive but this is what proper, ethical, financial planning is all about.
There is no doubt that we live in interesting times on many levels and naturally people will have financial concerns. High on the list of worries is the potential adverse effect of a geopolitical event but it is the potential repercussions of this and how issues impact us locally and well as globally that we need to consider. There is not much most of us can do about these global issues but we can take steps to protect ourselves and our families.
Life in the UAE has its own pressures and challenges and whilst there is usually a lot of optimism, right now there are issues facing us. It is no worse here than in the rest of the world but being an expat can have its own demands. To find out what UAE residents are thinking and feeling as we start the new year, I put together a survey and this article is about the results. All responses were anonymous.