Husband an Expat overseas

ConfusedExpat

Whilst you may not be interested in helping, that is my point exactly.

I am not trying to claim anything but to establish what my household income is! There are thousands of people in the same position being told to complete HMRC, DWP etc forms with missing guidance.

If you are genuinely overseas and completed all HMRC requirements you are outside the UK tax system. If your spouse returns to the UK with children too often or permanently then they are within the system. It is this situation I am exploring.

Both my husband and I paid the top rate of income tax every year since University ( which was funded by us and our families entirley) so just like everyone else rich or less rich we may be entitled to some minor tax breaks or so called benefits which are not means tested.

flashnazia

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

Whilst you may not be interested in helping, that is my point exactly.

I am not trying to claim anything but to establish what my household income is! There are thousands of people in the same position being told to complete HMRC, DWP etc forms with missing guidance.

If you are genuinely overseas and completed all HMRC requirements you are outside the UK tax system. If your spouse returns to the UK with children too often or permanently then they are within the system. It is this situation I am exploring.

Both my husband and I paid the top rate of income tax every year since University ( which was funded by us and our families entirley) so just like everyone else rich or less rich we may be entitled to some minor tax breaks or so called benefits which are not means tested.

But why do you need to fill in DWP forms if not for benefits?

Based on the income your husband receives (you said you moved abroad to get away from the 50% rate which suggests he earns quite a bit), I don't think you would be entitled to any benefits; even child benefit is means tested now therefore knowing your 'income' for benefits purposes is pointless no?

What does your husband do? I need a job that pays that much but if I did earn that much the last place I would look towards is the benefit system.

skintandscared_2

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

I am not trying to claim anything but to establish what my household income is! There are thousands of people in the same position being told to complete HMRC, DWP etc forms with missing guidance.

If you are genuinely overseas and completed all HMRC requirements you are outside the UK tax system. If your spouse returns to the UK with children too often or permanently then they are within the system. It is this situation I am exploring.

I believe that any money your husband sends to the UK, or makes available to you, will be deemed as "income" in your hands. The residence test is something like 183 days in any one year or an average of 91 days per year over 4 tax years, so it's safe to say you and your children will be classified as UK resident. You do, however, have your own tax allowance of £7k-ish before tax is due on your income (i.e. what your husband sends over). One thing that occurred to me is that if any of your children are over 18 and any of the money your husband sends is directly for their fees/tuition/etc, if it was sent directly to THEIR bank account, they would have their own tax allowance and it would reduce the amount received by you directly.

I do work in this field but I am only an administrator - not one of the experts who give advice! I will, however, speak to someone tomorrow who will know exactly what the situation is.

I can completely understand your wanting to legally minimise any tax you will have to pay but I'm sorry, I am struggling with the notion that you would try and claim any benefits at all. There isn't enough for those who genuinely need it, let alone those trying to milk the system.

flashnazia

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

Only when what suits? What loop hole?

........

Be reasonable as I have been, everyone and I mean everyone should fully participate with the HMRC and DWP to pay in what they are required to and receive whatever they are entitled to. That includes me and you too!

Is that why you moved?:

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

We chose to move overseas when a former government deemed it fair to charge an income tax rate of 50%. We disagreed and instead of moaning about it, we did something about it and moved to Saudi and Dubai. As far as I understand it is not a crime to move overseas and return from time to time.

Hmm.

MissMoneypenny

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

Both my husband and I paid the top rate of income tax every year since University ( which was funded by us and our families entirley)

Really??? As your son is 18 (starting university) then when/if you and your husband went to university, it was free. Free tutition and grants; funded by the taxpayers.

The first tuition fees came in in 1998, when Labour brought these fees in for England and Wales and used the Scottish MPs to push the vote through. I remember it well as never has a party sh@t on it's own voters as much as that party has. It was a Friday and although many Scottish MPs use to leave early on a Friday to go home, they stayed to vote to make sure Blair got his 'university tuition in England and Wales' through.

ConfusedExpat

The grants were means tested and neither I nor my husband would ever have been entitled so none were applied for. As for post graduate fees they have always been due and never free, your recollection of history is rather skewed and convienient to suit your argument.

We have both only ever worked as professionals in the private sector and paid for everything ourselves. A Labour introduced 50% tax rate is not reasonable for anyone to have to pay, so yes we did not complain but we did move overseas in 2009 to avoid the mess that was to come and is still coming.

We dont pay tax in Australia, New Zealand, US or anywhere else that we have not lived and benifited from public goods and services, the UK is no different at least for the period former residents are overseas permanently (by HMRC definitions).


There will be no old grants or fees paid for my eldest son at University and he will pay the fees without being a burden to anyone. The student loan system will have negative impacts on future borrowings/mortgages affordability tests whether people like to acknowledge that now or not. Revised financial regulations will make many regret not paying fees sooner rather than later.

Everyone has a critical view but unable to answer the initial question regarding household income which is not defined adequately anywhere.

Gentile

This thread has everything. Greed, Irony, Entitlement, attitude, selfishness, ignorance, indignance etc etc.

If you went abroad to skip paying tax , isnt it ironical that you are trying to grab something from the pot where you refused to put in the first place.

If you are real and do have the kind of comfortable life you claim to have, you would not even look at benefits, what difference will a hundred quid a month do to your lifestyle, hardly enough for a champagne.

Be happy that your family has enough wealth to be comfortably off while there are many families on the breadline who actually need that benefit support.

ConfusedExpat

Also, there are many HMRC and DWP forms that should be filled by residents of the UK. It is entirely wrong to see them as "claims for benefits". If your children need, as every resident does, a National Insurance number then, you fill in a form.

If you return to the UK then also you fill in a form for both DWP and HMRC that is all I am trying to do accurately and correctly.

SandraScarlett

Hi, I've read through this thread and I see you need to state your income. I assume your husband either sends you an allowance, which is paid into an account for you, or you have a joint UK account, to which this money is sent.

That is classed as unearned income, because it wasn't necessary for you to physically have a job, in order to get it. This, and any interest you get from your own personal savings, constitutes your income, and that would be subject to income tax, in exactly the same way as if you had a job.

I believe the tax free allowance is c£9K from April. So if your husband is paying, say, £2K into your bank account each month, your unearned income from this alone, is £24K, less £9K free pay, means you would pay tax on £15K, plus tax on your savings interest.

So, if these figures were accurate, and you received £24K from your husband, plus £3K a year interest on your own personal savings, your income would be £27K. HTH.

xx

flashnazia

ConfusedExpat wrote: »

Also, there are many HMRC and DWP forms that should be filled by residents of the UK. It is entirely wrong to see them as "claims for benefits". If your children need, as every resident does, a National Insurance number then, you fill in a form.

If you return to the UK then also you fill in a form for both DWP and HMRC that is all I am trying to do accurately and correctly.

Does the National Insurance number form require you to quote your income?

Tell us about the forms that do because I'm struggling to understand why you are filling in DWP forms if its not benefits you are after.