What is The Statutory Residence Test? The Statutory Residence Test (SRT) was introduced from 6 April 2013, to allow individuals (such as UK expats) to determine their UK tax residence status. Where an individual is a UK tax resident, they are subject to UK tax on their worldwide income and gains. Where they are non-UK tax resident, then broadly, they will only be subject to UK income tax on their UK source income, such as income from UK property, interest from UK bank accounts, dividends from UK companies etc. Specific rules apply for capital gains tax, and in particular on disposals of UK land/property. The Statutory Residence Test – Necessary Steps The SRT is made up of 3 sets of tests, which are considered in order. The...

What is Principle Private Residence “PPR” Relief? If you sell a property which is your only or main residence or has been at some point during your period of ownership, Principle Private Residence (“PPR”) Relief will be available. This means that if a capital gain arises on the sale, PPR will exempt either all or part of the gain from Capital Gains Tax (“CGT”).  PPR elections for individuals with more than one residence   If you have more than one private residence, you can make an election to nominate one of your residences as your PPR. This election must be made within two years of the date that you have a new combination of residences; for example, if you already have one residence and you purchase a second pro...

HMRC has issued "nudge" letters targeting wealthy taxpayers who: have become deemed UK domiciled for tax purposes in the UK (see below); and received a Notice to File a tax return for the 2017/18 tax year, but did not file it despite having submitted returns for 2016/17 and 2018/19. These letters prompt the taxpayer to review their tax position and respond to HMRC either confirming that their tax affairs are in order, or to commence the disclosure process. Over the last couple of years, we have seen "nudge" letters from HMRC asking taxpayers to review their income from rental properties, their offshore assets, income or gains, and the sale of a second home and/or rental property. Deemed Domicile These letters target lon...

Every tax year, a taxpayer is entitled to accrue pension contributions in accordance with their annual allowance (AA). The standard AA currently stands at £40,000 per year, however if you are a “high-income taxpayer” (i.e. adjusted income of £240,000 or more p/a, and threshold income exceeding £200,000 p/a), this AA will be restricted by £1 for every £2 in excess of the £240,000 limit, to a minimum AA of £4,000 (2020/21). These allowances apply across all schemes a taxpayer belongs to and includes all contributions i.e. those made by the taxpayer, their employer and any third party who pays on the taxpayer’s behalf. Where a taxpayer’s contributions exceed the aforementioned AA (whether standard or tapered) they will no lon...

Boris Johnson addressed the nation last Saturday evening (31.10.20) to confirm a second national lockdown as a result of the failure of the tiered local approach to contain the soaring infection rates of Covid-19. The lockdown calls for restaurants, pubs, gyms and non-essential retail shops to remain closed during the period of the four week national lockdown which commences today (05.11.20) and is due to expire on 2 December 2020. Unlike the first lockdown, schools and universities will remain open. Due to this aforementioned announcement, the Government has also announced further support to help afflicted business and households which can be summarised as follows: Furlough Scheme The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) or f...

On the sale of a house that you have lived in as a main residence, Principal Private Residence (PPR) Relief is typically available to reduce the gain by reference to your ownership period and the length of time that the house has been occupied as your main residence. PPR Relief applies to both the site of property and its surrounding gardens and grounds, provided that the total area does not exceed 0.5 hectares. Should the site exceed 0.5 hectares, relief may still nevertheless be available if it can be demonstrated that the larger area is required for "the reasonable enjoyment of the dwelling house . . . as a residence, having regard to the size and character of the dwelling house". In the recent case of Leslie and Catherine Phillip...

HMRC plans to send 14,000 "nudge" letters to individuals it believes may have made a taxable residential property disposal in 2018/19 but did not report it on their self-assessment tax return, thereby encouraging taxpayers to come forward and bring their affairs up to date. On the sale of residential property, capital gains tax may become payable on the gain. The taxable gain is calculated by taking the sale proceeds and deducting the original cost, the associated costs of disposal/acquisition, any costs incurred on enhancing the value of the property, and the annual exempt amount (£11,700 for 2018/19). If the taxpayer had lived in the property as their main residence throughout their period of ownership, then Principal Private Resid...

With the offer of quality accommodation at a cheap price and a convenient online booking system, Airbnb has become a very popular choice for those looking for somewhere to stay during a weekend away or even an extended holiday. The increased popularity of the site has created a great opportunity for those with an apartment or spare room to easily generate some extra income. However, these people may not have earned money in this way before and they may therefore not be aware that this is taxable rental income that they may need to report to HMRC. Airbnb has just announced that it will provide HMRC with the details of the individuals who let out property on the site and the rental income that they have received. The information provide...

Last month, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced that as part of the Government’s ‘Winter Economy Plan’ taxpayers who complete self-assessment tax returns can now defer their tax liabilities using HMRC’s formerly established Time to Pay self-service facility. Following the announcement, HMRC have now confirmed more details about the practicalities of the scheme. One of the Government’s previous measures was that taxpayers who were required to make payments on account for 2019/20 following submission of their 2018/19 tax returns (i.e. those with a tax bill of above £1,000 or those who had paid less than 80% of all tax owed) in July 2020 could defer this payment until January 2021 if they have been affected b...

Following yesterday’s cancellation of the proposed autumn budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak spoke in Parliament today (24.09.20) to address the next phase of the Government’s economic support during this crisis, dubbed their ‘Winter Economy Plan.’ The chancellor began his speech on a positive note, stressing that the UK is in a better economic position than in March, however he emphasised the need for more financial provisions to accompany the realisation that the virus will remain prevalent for months to come. The measures outlined today can be summarised as follows: 1. Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) The JSS will replace the furlough scheme (officially known as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme) ...