If you are not a UK resident for tax purposes and you buy a home in England or Northern Ireland, you usually pay a 2% surcharge on top of the normal Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). If the property is an additional home, such as a buy-to-let, a further 5% usually applies. This guide explains…
If you are paid in dollars, dirhams, euros or any other currency, UK lenders will usually reduce the income they count, to allow for exchange rate risk. This guide explains how that works, why some lenders will not take foreign income at all and how to plan around it. It is part of our series…
Expat mortgages usually need a bigger deposit and more paperwork than a standard UK mortgage, and the exact figures depend on the lender. This guide sets out the deposit and income rules lenders commonly apply to borrowers living abroad, so you know what to prepare. It builds on our page on how to borrow to…
Yes, a British expat can usually get a UK buy-to-let mortgage, but only from a smaller group of lenders and on stricter terms than a UK resident. This guide explains why it is harder, what lenders look at and how to prepare, so you can plan before you apply. It sits alongside our page on…
If you are a British expat parent, your child’s passport does not decide what they pay at a UK university. Fee status turns on where the student has lived in the years before the course, and why. A family that has lived abroad for work may still qualify for Home fees, but usually only with…
If your savings, pension or plan are in one currency and your life is in another, every exchange rate move changes what you can spend. This guide explains where currency risk shows up in expat savings, how to match currencies to your spending and how to keep conversion costs down. This guide is general information,…
School fees are one of the few big costs with a known date. That makes them easier to plan for than most, but only if you choose the right savings tool for the time you have. This guide shows how to work out what you need, how long you have and which route suits each…
Top-slicing relief can cut the tax on a large bond gain by spreading it over the years you held the bond. It matters most to expats who return to the UK and cash in an offshore bond. This guide explains what it does, how it is worked out and what it cannot do. This guide…
An offshore investment bond grows with little tax inside it, and the tax usually arrives later, when a chargeable event produces a gain. Where you live at that point decides who taxes it. This guide explains how gains are taxed, what time apportionment relief does and the traps for expats who return to the UK….
If you own property or savings in more than one country, one will may not be enough. A UK will can be valid abroad, but it may be slow to use, may clash with local succession law and can cancel a local will by accident. This guide explains when you may need two wills and…