Changes to non-domiciled tax status to go ahead

The previous government included plans to end non-domiciled tax status at the Spring Budget and replace it with a 4-year foreign income and gains (FIG) regime. The new government have now announced their intention to continue with these plans, while ending some advantages for existing non-domiciled individuals.

What the change in tax status will mean

Preferential tax treatment based on domicile status will be removed for all new FIG arising from 6 April 2025. This means that foreign income and gains will all be taxable in the UK where you are classed as residing in the UK, not just that included under the remittance basis.

A relief will be available for new arrivals

New arrivals to the UK will have 100% relief in their first four years of tax residence, as long as they have not been a UK tax resident in any of the 10 consecutive years prior to arriving.

Transitional measures

As a transitional measure, it was previously announced that there would be a 50% reduction in foreign income subject to tax for the first year for those losing access to the remittance basis. However, the government has said this will not now happen.

The government has also outlined transitional arrangements to cover FIG that arose before 6 April 2025 and remitted to the UK afterwards – it will be taxed when remitted as per the current rules. A new Temporary Repatriation Facility (TRF) will also be available that allows for paying a reduced tax rate on a remittance for a limited time period after the remittance basis ends.

Changes to inheritance tax included

The government plans to replace the existing domicile-based system for inheritance tax (IHT) with a new residence-based one from 6 April 2025.

The basic test they are proposing for whether non-UK assets are within the scope for IHT will be whether a person has been resident in the UK for 10 years prior to the tax year in which the chargeable event happens. A person will also be kept within scope for 10 years after leaving the UK.

There are also plans to end the use of Excluded Property Trusts that keep assets out of the scope of IHT. Confirmation of how the rules relate to this and how existing trusts are affected will be provided at the Budget on 30 October.

If you are concerned about how these changes will affect you and the tax you pay, please call us at any time and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2024-non-uk-domiciled-individuals-policy-summary