tax implications for UK expat
By urban_qatar •
Hi All,
I am considering a move to Qatar following a job offer. However I am unaware of the tax implications. I currently work in the UK and I will potentially be starting in Qatar at the beginning of May and will be finishing work in early May in the UK.
The job being offered is for a minimum 12 month contract. I needed to know whether I would be liable to any tax in the UK and whether my earnings in Qatar will be tax free?
Also, I would need to send money back to the UK on a monthly basis for current on going commitments, how should that be done without being done for a huge tax bill?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks
You need to talk to a tax advisor in the UK. Since you will not be abroad for the entire UK tax year (which I think starts during the first week of April) you could end up subject to full UK taxation fro the entire year. So be careful!
(Note I am not a tax expert, but I work with a lot of Brits to whom I constantly B&M about being an American citizen who gets to pay taxes for the whole year no matter where I am--even if I worked on the moon!).
Hi, if you are getting paid in Qatar then you don’t have to pay any income tax to the UK government. You are also entitled to a tax return for the tax year 2009-2010, which will be the tax that you paid in April and May 2009.
Regarding transferring money, you have to open an international bank account in Jersey or other similar places, and then transfer your money from Qatar to the international account and then transfer from that international account to your local account. I’m afraid it’s a bit bureaucratic and costly.
Good Luck!