UK tax traps for non-residents

[Alan Zoff]

The following Times article is likely to be worth a read by ex-pats who make a habit of visiting UK

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9559-2459575,00.html

[Gastines]

Just one more reason not to give any more to B.Ferries.

Regards.

[Will]

It works both ways, for some of us there are potential advantages in retaining UK tax residency (and in particular social security residency which unfortunately does not follow the 90-day rule).

In reality hardly anything has changed. The only difference is that traveling days can now be counted towards the residence days, whereas before they were not. That will only affect the very frequent travellers, most of whom, by virtue of their commuting lifetyle, retain UK tax and SS residency anyway.

I doubt if too many of the frequent travellers give too much to Brittany Ferries, anyway, at least not in summer. I would guess that Ryanair and Easyjet benefit more (and LD Lines when the service is running, which it isn't at present). Mind you (getting completely off topic) the £27 last-minute BF return I got for my last weekend's trip after my flight was cancelled due to the winds was rather more acceptable.

[Miki]

Sorry for the slightly off topic question.

Will, how does the last minute affair work with B.F ? I have always thought the later, the dearer it is ! Is it some new offer from B.F ?

[Will]

Supply and demand Miki. It often pays to book really early, but even so I find some fares go up, some come down. I've often found that if you can hang on to the last minute you get pretty good deals, it doesn't work at peak times, but the ferry back on Sunday evening was pretty full so I was rather surprised to get such a good fare. I booked it online Friday morning, for sailing out Friday afternoon, took the booking reference to the port and exchanged it for a ticket, couldn't be simpler. It was foot passenger, not overnight, with club discount, but still a pretty good fare in my opinion.

[Gluestick]

Greed never ever pays. As Gordon "One Eye" Brown is starting to find out, the Law of Diminishing Returns very much applies to fiscal policy.

As the UK taxbase rises, inexorably and as more people can become more mobile at ever-younger age, tax avoidance becomes more critical: and a more interesting proposition!

Become an Andoran resident - for which these days you must now buy residential property as with an increasing number of jurisdictions - which you can let for skiing, and thereafter, become a PT: no, not a P...... Taker, in tax terms, but a Permanent Traveller.

One you have successfully established your new residence and domicile, you may then visit various European jurisdictions for up to 90 days and in some cases more, with no liability for local taxes.

I am most interested how Philip Green, the owner of BHS etc, can remit £1,000,000,000 in dividends to Monaco - where his lady wife is resident, BTW, pay little UK income and capital gains tax and still seemingly run his various and involved UK businesses and regularly appear in the press and media?

One law for one lot: and another for the stiffs, it would appear!

Perhaps Mr Green is in line for a Baronetcy?[;-)]