no good name

Hi.
Been in Canada for almost 4 years, currently have PR, and application for citizenship has been sent.

I am not happy here. Marriage is crumbling.. Long story (in another thread) Short trips home are not cutting it. So seriously considering taking the advice of others and going home to UK for an extended period of time. Whether that is 1-2-3-6 months..

So how is that actually achievable?
I would need to rent a property, (cant exactly stay with family or in a hotel for 6months), so in order to pay for this property and survive I would need a job.
To get around, I would need a car ect ect

Questions:
- Can I use my Ontario driving licence to drive a car for 6months?
- What about car insurance ?
- would I have to swap back my Ont licence for a full UK one?
- What about paying tax / national insurance ?

Many more questions but I'll leave it there for now

SanDiegogirl

You can use your Ontario licence for 12 months
What about car insurance - yes, you will need to purchase it and it might be expensive
What about paying tax/national insurance - yes, if you get a job you will pay tax and insurance.

Pulaski

Depending on when in the tax year (April 6 - April 5) he arrives in the UK and perhaps how long he stays, he may pay little or no income tax. Annual personal allows accrue throughout the tax year irrespective of whether you are earning and living the UK.

So if you take a job earning £50,000/yr and start work on January 6 then you will earn £12,500 by April 5, and pay no income tax (or get it all refunded. If you started the same job on October 6, then you would earn £25,000 by the following April 5, and only pay tax on £12,500.

SanDiegogirl

Well I'm not going to work out whether or not he pays taxes dependent on when he arrives or how much he earns etc etc ..... best to expect to pay taxes if you work, and then have a nice surprise when you don't.
He's only been in Canada for 4 years - so should be well aware of how UK taxes work.

Pulaski

IME many people in the UK are not aware about what happens with PAYE when you only work for part of a year.

Depending on your salary/ pay level it is optimal to start work after returning to the UK a few weeks/ months ahead of the end of the tax year and to leave your job and the UK, a few weeks/ months before you leave the UK.

no good name

Thanks for the reply.
Could you tell me where I would find confirmation of this i.e. is it on the DVLA website?

SanDiegogirl

https://www.gov.uk/driving-nongb-licence

Pulaski

That makes no sense and I can't now edit it.

It should have read

SanDiegogirl

Well I ddn't like to say anything......

durham_lad

Exactly, and regardless of when he starts earning he will be subject to NI contributions,

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.u...nce-deductions

robin1234

When I was considering spending more time in England after retiring in the US, I decided to get a long term winter rental of a holiday cottage in a small town in Norfolk. This was in 2014. In the event I just got it for ten weeks, but many holiday cottage owners or agencies are happy to rent out for three to five months (or whatever their off-season is.) Main limitation is this is mainly going to be in holiday areas, but of course many such cottages are going to be in towns or within commuting distance of cities or places of employment.