gofish

Hi,

I am a UK permanent resident (ILR). I took a job in the USA and now planning to return after a period of 5 months (within same tax year). During my stay in the USA, I paid US income tax and social security tax while working in the US. Please can anyone share what do I need to do in terms of tax return filing with HMRC on my return to the UK so that I am not accused of tax evasion or anything like that. I have a P45 from my ex-UK employer UK , W-2 and payslips from the US employer.

Thanks

JAJ

You should seek tax advice in the U.K. however in general:

- you will have to include your U.S. income on your U.K. tax return. You should normally get a credit for any U.S. tax;

- you will probably have to complete a U.S. tax return for your U.S. income. You will need to check that you have not become a U.S. tax resident, if so, your U.S. filing becomes more complex

- you might be able to take your U.S. Social Security credits and get them added to your U.K. contributions record

- the time outside the U.K. may affect when you can become naturalised as a British citizen, although if absence is only 5 months you should be able to seek admission as a returning resident.

larrabee

I am a UKC, and US green card holder. When I started to spend longer (a few months at a time) periods in the UK I looked into the UK income tax filing implications, as like you, I didn't want to get into any sort of trouble with HMRC.

Now our situations are different but my advice to you is to make a list of all of your questions, be really specific, and call HMRC. They really are extremely helpful. The very first lady that I spoke with actually congratulated me on being so proactive!

For simple questions such as what date do I have to file by, the person who answers the phone will help you, if it is a little more complicated, then you will be passed on, within the same call, to a more experienced advisor. If they can't help you during the call, they will look into it and call you back. If at that point there is still any uncertainty, put your question in writing and you will get a letter back from HMRC with your answer.

TopNik

Hello gofish,

If you are not already registered for self assessment with HMRC then you need to do so as soon as possible.

You will need to complete a UK tax return for the 2012/13 tax year due to your foreign income received in the USA.

The deadline to file this tax return is 31 January 2014.