phyns

Hi all,

When you left the UK, did you inform the HMRC of your non residence status. Do you need to inform them that you're leaving the UK?

Advice appreciated.

Thanks

Genesis

Hi, there was a form at the Nationwide we filled in to stop them taxing us on our UK savings stating that we were not longer going to be UK residents and as such no longer had a UK tax burden, stopped them on one acct but not the other!! No worries as we use the UK tax paid against tax owed in NZ. Other than that I do not believe there is any need for you to sign any official papers saying you have emigrated, well there were not back in 2005.

phyns

Nice one thanks for that.

Clappy

I think it is form P85 that you send to HMRC. It is probably worth doing if you leave part of the the way through a tax year and you have earned PAYE income because if that is the case case then you will probably have paid too much tax and will get a refund.

There is a whole section on the HMRC website about what to do if you are leaving the UK, everyone should read it.

Clappy

Here is a link to the relevant section of the HMRC website.
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/leave-uk.htm

What will happen will depend on how complex your tax affairs are in the UK.

Mrs Clappy was a PAYE employee (and a Kiwi returning home) and after she sent them the P85 she received a quick refund and never heard anything from them again.

My tax affairs were more complicated (and I was an escaping Brit). I didn't get a refund, and even though I never owe them any money they still demand that I complete a tax return for them every year, despite the fact that I have not spent one day in the UK for three complete tax years now.

Jan n Neil

Neil has apparently amassed a fine of over 1200 pounds apparently by not filling in tax returns even though he completed a P85. He rang the tax office from NZ who promised to sort it out.

All they did was send the letters fining him to NZ

Will try and sort it out this week in blighty

Jan

sparkie down under

i don't know what it is about tax and pensions but they make my eyes go heavy and my brain go to sleep.

As a long term self employed before I left I found the tax agency to be very, very unhelpful.

A very long story short - put in tax return (all good) - heard nothing - had tax demand for the year AFTER I left (?)(provisional tax) - refused to pay as I would not be there - fined (?) - told them i'd appeal - still heard nothing - eventually rang them and said seeing as they had put my case in the 'Too hard basket', I'd do the same with their demands for tax on a year I wasn't even working there - never heard anything back!

scrubbedexpat094

Do not despair my friend, you are not alone!

Genesis

Download Help Sheet 300: 'Non-residents and investment income' (PDF 77K)

Here is a link to help us decipher what is what.http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/tax-return.htm

Am I right in thinking I DO NOT have to complete a UK tax return as the only cash I earn in the UK is a few quid on tax dividends and then interest from a UK building society..on which I pay some tax in the Uk and the main bulk of it to the IRD.

HMRC have never sent me any correspondence to my knowledge.

Genesis

May I ask why HMRC wanted to fine him? Did Neil have a specific liabilty he was unaware of re UK taxation or do all us UK expats have a duty to fill out a UK tax return even if we don't have income that is relevant or 'disregarded' as they say?

I filled out a form at the building society to say I was leaving the country but they still tax me on one acct and not the other..I pay NZ tax on that one and get a tax credit for the UK tax paid.

Have some of us been amassing fines unwittingly from HMRC????

simonsi

As far as I am aware HMRC have no powers to demand tax returns from non-residents (for tax purposes), who have no income or tax liability in the UK.

What HMRC are entitled to ask for and what they actually ask for may be two entirely different things.

Jan n Neil

for not filling out an online tax return, every year, as they had him down as self employed prior to 2009.. They are currently saying he owes 100 GBP a week in fines since 2010. We left in 2009. On the phone from NZ, they agreed he had left the UK and was non-resident, and they would cancel the "debt". Instead, they just sent the letters asking for money to NZ ...........

No criminal activity, Genesis

ellenarosemary

Just received a nice fat rebate from HMRC for the tax my husband had paid to date from April, very nice thank you - worth doing.

simonsi

We had a similar, when we exported the car, we sent in the V5 slip saying exported, they didn't process it but there is no confirmation as to whether they have received it. They then fine us, we present evidence that it was registered in NZ therefore no UK road tax liability. They agree....but the fines cannot be waived!!!! Submitted an appeal, that seems to get auto-binned. Just one more reason to exit permanently

Bet HMRC is the same, the fines will be VERY difficult to get voided even if they admit they are in the wrong....

Genesis

Sorry for being so nosey..was wondering if I too may have fallen foul of the taxman YET again..did not declare my UK interest for the 1st 3 years in NZ..didn't know I had too!! Grovelling letter and back tax sorted out after a few worrying months!! Just rang HMRc and even if you are non resident in the Uk you DO have to complete a tax return if certain criteria apply. Fortunately simple interest and dividends do not fall into that category. The link above I posted will help others see if they have such a liability.