Claiming tax back after working abroad

predator887

I worked abroad from 26th April in Abu Dhabi and I am due to fly home at the end of the month. I am seconded through a UK company so my wages are paid in the UK so I have been paying tax and N.Insurance. If I take unpaid leave to go travelling outside the UK until the end of the tax year 5th April 2015 then will I be able to claim back tax paid and possibly national insurance too? I might be a non resident. I did the tax residency indicator but I want to confirm it.

Cheers in advance

Cook_County

Sorry, erm, which bit of law makes you non-UK resident? Your income is entirely UK taxable.

Spidernick

The Statutory Residence Test rules are extremely complex, but you are going to fall down on the autmatically not resident test with the Full Time Working Abroad element by the sounds of it. You will also have spent more than 15 days in the UK in 14/15 from what you are saying.

Even if you are non-tax resident by virtue of time in the UK against your 'connecting' factors to the UK (which is the final test and requires a lot more information), what are the terms of your secondment to Abu Dhabi? Do they describe you as 'tax equalised' back to the UK? If so then you are taxed on a 'stay at home' basis as if you had never left the UK, with your employer benefiting from any actual tax savings (which are then used to help fund the cost of your secondment). The earnings to 25 April would almost certainly be liable to actual tax in any case.

You'd need to provide a lot more data to enable anyone to give you a meaningful answer.

predator887

I know the principle of tax equalization and I am sure it is not being applied to me. What other information do I need to provide? I have no property in the UK. I worked 15 days in the UK and have not been back since for holidays or anything

predator887

im not tax equalized

I worked 15 days in the UK so far

I havent returned home for a holiday and I have no property in the UK

Spidernick

Have you looked at this?:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/international/rdr3.pdf

I'm afraid I haven't got time to go through this in depth for you and your circumstances are a little unusual.

If you are NR then you cannot claim back NI and your earnings to 25 April will be taxable, as you are working in the UK then for a UK employer.

You'll probably need to complete a tax return to claim any tax refund and I'd recommend getting a progfessional to do this.

Also bear in mind that once you register for Self Assessment you will probably then be sent tax returns to complete for future years, so think about whether you are happy to go down this route.