US / UK / HK Tax Confusion!

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  1. #1

    US / UK / HK Tax Confusion!

    Hi,

    Does anyone have any experience filing taxes in the US, UK AND HK?! I think I have gotten pretty decent advice already on my US and HK tax obligations, but I am SOOOO confused about my UK taxes. Is anyone reading this by any chance a UK tax advisor, or can someone recommend a tax advisor who can advise me on whether I even need to file UK taxes, and if I do, what the nuances are?

    Thanks! Feel free to PM me and I can give you more information.

    L


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Try Azure Tax. They're not the cheapest but they're pretty on the ball with UK tax treatment.

    edit: link is here Azure they'll talk you through your concerns over the phone for free.

    Last edited by luckycat; 23-06-2011 at 11:55 AM.

  3. #3

    Join Date
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    UK income tax is essentially based on residence (as is HK's), but it's more complicated if you have property that you let out. US tax is generally based on citizenship/green card, with some fine tuning based on residence.

    The UK HMRC website is pretty comprehensive. If you are (or think you are) non-resident in the UK then start here: HM Revenue & Customs: Residency


  4. #4

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    The Revenue & Customs people are also very good when you call them, they explain things very clearly.


  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Satay Sue:
    The Revenue & Customs people are also very good when you call them, they explain things very clearly.
    I very much so disagree with this one.

    They are customer services officers and have no clue what they are talking about (and will get it wrong). I've had to point them to their own pages to tell them so.

    Speak to someone who's a professional. Esp. if you are looking for anything on US and UK advice.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by hongkongperson:
    I very much so disagree with this one.

    They are customer services officers and have no clue what they are talking about (and will get it wrong). I've had to point them to their own pages to tell them so.

    Speak to someone who's a professional. Esp. if you are looking for anything on US and UK advice.
    That's really strange as my husband and I spoke to someone on two separate occasions and found them really helpful. Maybe it depends on who answers the phone then!

  7. #7

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    If you are not resident in the UK and also not ordinarily resident, you should not have to pay any tax.


  8. #8

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    You might do if you own a house there and rent it out though


  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Satay Sue:
    That's really strange as my husband and I spoke to someone on two separate occasions and found them really helpful. Maybe it depends on who answers the phone then!
    That's part of the problem.

    They often think they know what they're talking about. If it's a simple query, then they're OK. But ask them if you are UK resident, or not, or anything that requires some knowledge of tax they will not be able to answer you properly. Admin questions you might be OK on though e.g. where is my tax return, why do I owe XYZ in taxes.

    You've got to remember, these people literally receive a total of 1 week of training (as I was advised once by an officer on the phone who told me he had no clue) and are expected to know their area of legislation and the general practice of HMRC. It's not possible. UK tax legislation is the biggest and longest tax code in the world.

  10. #10
    Original Post Deleted
    But can they advise on tax planning? It's not exactly in their best interest to help you figure out how to reduce your UK tax bill?!

    Hongkongperson - can you recommend a professional?

    Just out of curiosity - do the rest of you get tax preparation services as part of your package? If so, how long are you meant to be in HK for?

    By the way, I am a green card holder so can't get out of US taxes. I have been out of the UK for a couple of years now so I think I can claim I am non-resident if that's what's in my best interest. But when I go back to the UK, I think I will be ordinarily resident then. But non-domiciled - how do I maintain that status for awhile?!

    Thanks