Understanding foreign income and taxes

Lurkingtoposting17

Hi All

I am hoping someone can help me decipher the myriad of information I am trying to sift through in order to understand my tax status!

I was offered a job and moved overseas at the start of January. The job is an incredible career enhancing opportunity, and a real step up. It was also tax free, with some good benefits (house/car/bills all paid - though I lived at home with parents and shared a car with mum, so these weren't things that saved me money, but were great to get some freedom, without financial impact).

I am taking home around 150 less a month than I was in the UK after tax, but I was ok with the minor drop because of the scale of the opportunity, and the saving I make on commuting cost means I am slightly better off here, though not dramatically, but worth it for the experience.

However, the role being complicated and unusual, means they are extending my probation until July. This has unnerved me somewhat, as I have worried about any tax implications if the worst happens and I am let go in July.

I assume, in this scenario, as although I would have been out the country for the required 6 months, as it is spread over 2 tax years, I would be liable for tax on income for the full 6 months I will have been living overseas?

If I have to pay tax on my earnings, effectively I have gone from a 1800 per annum pay cut, to a 20k pay cut for this opportunity. And that is heartbreaking as someone who took the opportunity to move overseas as an opportunity to save as well as experience and learn.

Whilst I am doing all I can to work hard and ensure I stay for the 2 years I was hoping to, some things are outside of my control and I want to make certain I financially plan for the worst case scenario of coming back and owing HMRC tax on 6 months of earning.

Can anyone advise?

With thanks for your time.