Tax & Accounting, Clearly Explained

A UK pension can only go overseas to a QROPS, a 25% charge may apply, and US plans are rarely a clean destination. Often the answer is to leave it.

The UK small-salary-plus-dividends mix is built for UK tax. For a US citizen, CFC rules and credit limits can make it the costlier choice.

A US home can trigger higher rates, a day count can trigger the non-resident surcharge, and the US treats SDLT as basis, not a deduction.

The Lifetime ISA's bonus and tax-free growth are UK-only. For a US citizen, the account is taxable, reportable and costly to leave behind.

UK residence switches on worldwide taxation from a date the statute fixes. The months before you land are the only window in which several choices still exist.

Closing a solvent UK company converts retained profit into capital. For a US shareholder it is a second taxable event, with anti-avoidance rules on both sides.

A UK purchase of own shares can be capital for HMRC and a dividend for the IRS. Two systems, two tests, one payment - and a broken foreign tax credit.

The UK exempts part of a termination payment. The US does not mirror it, and with no UK tax behind that slice there is nothing to credit.

The UK taxes a directorship as an office, through PAYE and National Insurance. The US treats the same fee as self-employment income. Both can be right.

An annual UK charge on enveloped homes - and for an American owner, a foreign corporation the IRS wants reported. What the structure now costs on both sides.

EOT relief is a UK exemption. The US taxes its citizens on the whole gain - and where the UK charges nothing, there is no UK tax to credit against it.

The child owns a bare trust absolutely and is normally taxed on it - but who funded it decides the UK answer, and a US-citizen child brings a filing history of their own.

Britain does not tax the punter. America taxes the winnings - and because HMRC collected nothing, there is no foreign tax credit to soften it.

A FIC defers UK tax and passes value down - but to the IRS it is a foreign corporation, and the US family member can be taxed on income never distributed.

Abandoning a green card does not automatically end US tax residence - and long-term residents can face the same expatriation rules as citizens who renounce.

How to get a US residency certificate on Form 8802 and a UK certificate of residence from HMRC - the fees, the lead times, and why requests get refused.

Get the IRS tests for contractor status wrong, and you face back taxes, penalties, and audits. Here's how to classify correctly.

Hypothetical tax, gross-ups and the year-end true-up explained - plus the income your employer's equalisation policy almost certainly does not cover.

A UK pension death benefit can be tax-free in Britain and taxable in America, with no credit to soften it. What a US beneficiary should know first.

Split-year treatment, temporary non-residence, ISAs, SIPPs and the UK house — plus the US side: the FEIE ending, state residency restarting, credits expiring.

Sharesave and Share Incentive Plans are tax-advantaged under UK law only. The US taxes them on its own terms, at its own moments, with no UK tax to credit.

Cross-border families face vastly different trust rules in each jurisdiction. Here's what you need to know.

The day-count rule is misleading. Tax residence depends on ties, intent, and treaty provisions—not a simple threshold.

Navigate BO reporting across the USA, UK, and UAE. Essential compliance rules, filing deadlines, and penalties explained.

Master how to offset UK company losses against profits in prior years, future years, and other income streams to minimise tax.

A 529 is tax-free in the US, but the UK may not agree. The UK risk, UK universities, ownership, and 529 vs Junior ISA.

An English divorce settlement can carry US tax consequences. Asset transfers, the home, pension sharing, maintenance and FBAR for American spouses in the UK.

Gift Aid needs a UK charity; a US deduction needs a US one. How dual taxpayers give well: dual-qualified charities, shares, legacies and records.

UK VCT reliefs do not cross the Atlantic. Why the IRS likely treats a VCT as a PFIC, taxes its dividends, and how the relief can erode your foreign tax credit.

Navigate tax residency, social security, and withholding rules when deploying staff across borders—US, UK, and UAE.

Understand BADR eligibility, trading company status and the £1m lifetime limit to cut your CGT rate on business sale.

Understand UAE corporate tax filing, personal income rules, and compliance requirements for freelancers and business owners.

How special economic zones, free zones, and offshore areas affect VAT liability—and why exemptions don't always apply.

FX movements create taxable gains and losses. Learn how the IRS, HMRC and UAE treat them—and why most expats get it wrong.

A practical guide to whether a holding company structure saves you tax, protects your assets, and justifies the setup and ongoing costs.

A practical guide to holding company benefits, real costs, and whether this structure suits your business.

No US-UAE treaty and no UAE income tax means no foreign tax credit. What the FEIE covers, what it misses, and the FBAR and 5471 duties expats miss.

From 6 April 2025 UK inheritance tax follows residence, not domicile. What the 10-of-20-year test means for US citizens in Britain, and where US tax bites.

UK carried interest moved into the Income Tax framework in April 2026. What that means for US citizens in London funds, and why foreign tax credits misfire.

EMI is a creature of UK statute and the US does not recognise it. How grant, exercise and exit are taxed on different timelines for American holders.

Master the tax compliance maze for digital sales spanning US, UK, and UAE—practical strategies for founders selling globally.

How to correct mistakes in a Streamlined disclosure and whether you can amend after submission—expert guidance for US expats and business owners.

Moving to Britain with a 401(k) or IRA? How the US-UK treaty taxes growth and withdrawals, why UK pension transfers rarely work, and the costly mistakes.

Selling a US home after moving to the UK: how the US exclusion clock, UK capital gains tax, FIRPTA and exchange rates decide what you pay.

A UK LLP is transparent for HMRC, but US classification is separate and fact-dependent. What US citizen partners in London firms must file and why.

A Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund is tax-free in the UK, not the US. What it means for a US citizen child: US income, PFIC rules, the FBAR and how to fix it.

A step-by-step guide to identifying your Form 5471 category and meeting IRS reporting obligations for US owners of foreign corporations.

How married couples with mixed citizenship or residency navigate US joint returns, separate filing, and streamlined compliance.

UK life insurance bonds and investment wrappers trigger complex US tax reporting. Learn what you owe, when to file, and how to avoid penalties.

Determine your correct Form 5471 category and filing obligation with our straightforward decision framework for US shareholders in foreign corporations.

US citizens purchasing UK property face dual tax obligations, currency exposure and FIRPTA rules. A strategic plan protects your investment.

US persons who inherit foreign assets face severe penalties if they miss Form 3520 filing. Here's what you need to know.

A relative who died abroad was a US citizen or green-card holder? An executor's guide to the final return, unfiled years, FBARs and US estate tax.

The UK's Temporary Repatriation Facility is priced for UK-only taxpayers. US citizens may get no foreign tax credit for the charge — model both sides first.

Premium Bond prizes are tax-free in the UK but not in the US. What a US person in Britain reports on the FBAR and Form 8938 — and what to do if they haven't.

The FIG regime replaced the non-dom remittance basis — but for a US citizen the UK exemption removes the foreign tax credit too, handing the benefit to the IRS.

How a US citizen abroad files with a non-American spouse: Married Filing Separately, the 6013(g) election, ITINs, joint-account FBARs and fixing past years.

How US rental income and the eventual sale are taxed for UK residents — Schedule E vs Self Assessment, depreciation mismatches, FIRPTA and UK CGT in sterling.

What happens to tax and payroll when you work remotely from the UK for a US company — SRT residence, FEIE vs foreign tax credit, PAYE, NIC and PE risk.

Why American retirees abroad still owe the IRS a return, how pensions and Social Security are treated, and why the Streamlined Foreign Offshore Procedures fit retirees so well.