Working abroad on rotation, tax pensions etc
Discussion
Hi everyone,
I start a new job next month. I will be working in Iraq. I will do 12 weeks there and have 3 weeks off. One day for travel to work, 3 weeks off another day to travel back I understand. So I do get the full 3 week period off work.
I was told I will pay tax. “Hypo tax” the first I have come across this.
However I have spoken to a tax advisor this morning on behalf of who I am going to work for. It was all rather confusing being honest.
For a full tax year I could go tax free but I can only stay in the uk 90 nights. However with me going next month I could have 67 nights until April 5th according to the advisor. From what I have been led to believe the company will fly me home or give me so much towards a flight to go where ever I want. So it could be a way of seeing more of the world and working tax free…
Originally I was just going to suck it up and pay the tax. But the company don’t offer a pension anyway so I would need to set up a SIPP. Claim tax back etc.
Apparently I will need to do a self assessment anyway. So I am thinking I may as well stay out of the uk and pay no tax.
Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble, not fully sure what I am asking. Just this is all new to me and wondered if anyone else does similar and the best way to go about things.
The advisor didn’t really clear anything up this morning. Just confusing.
Thanks for any help.
I start a new job next month. I will be working in Iraq. I will do 12 weeks there and have 3 weeks off. One day for travel to work, 3 weeks off another day to travel back I understand. So I do get the full 3 week period off work.
I was told I will pay tax. “Hypo tax” the first I have come across this.
However I have spoken to a tax advisor this morning on behalf of who I am going to work for. It was all rather confusing being honest.
For a full tax year I could go tax free but I can only stay in the uk 90 nights. However with me going next month I could have 67 nights until April 5th according to the advisor. From what I have been led to believe the company will fly me home or give me so much towards a flight to go where ever I want. So it could be a way of seeing more of the world and working tax free…
Originally I was just going to suck it up and pay the tax. But the company don’t offer a pension anyway so I would need to set up a SIPP. Claim tax back etc.
Apparently I will need to do a self assessment anyway. So I am thinking I may as well stay out of the uk and pay no tax.
Sorry if this is a bit of a ramble, not fully sure what I am asking. Just this is all new to me and wondered if anyone else does similar and the best way to go about things.
The advisor didn’t really clear anything up this morning. Just confusing.
Thanks for any help.
z4RRSchris said:
In order to not pay UK tax you need to pass the assessment rules, its not as simple as just being out the country and only spending 90 days. Do you have a short term contract, are you keeping your house, does your family live here etc etc etc.
Oh ok.4 year contract. Will keep my house here. Girlfriend will live init but we aren’t married. Not much family here really.
keo said:
z4RRSchris said:
In order to not pay UK tax you need to pass the assessment rules, its not as simple as just being out the country and only spending 90 days. Do you have a short term contract, are you keeping your house, does your family live here etc etc etc.
Oh ok.4 year contract. Will keep my house here. Girlfriend will live init but we aren t married. Not much family here really.
Easier to rent out your house and move to Dubai / Abu D / Oman. Presume your on a O&G or security contract so the money should support both you you somewhere sunny.
Depends on who is paying what.
When I last did this I paid the hypo tax, kept up NI etc. Accountants were provided who sorted out all the details & paperwork based on the stuff I gave them and the calendar I kept, reclaimed the UK tax and paid the local stuff.
To me the hypo tax setup meant I got the same net as I would having if I'd been entirely UK based, including treatment of expenses etc etc. The different/extra tax for the local aspects was paid for by the company for me.
The only real wrinkles were the paperwork for the accountants as needed lots due to differing tax year dates in different countries, and the long long tail from the (non UK) tax I had to pay on the benefit I'd got from each year's tax being paid so it took years for that to decay down to the point it didn't need dealing with.
Strongly recommend you check who is paying for what, including accounting services.
When I last did this I paid the hypo tax, kept up NI etc. Accountants were provided who sorted out all the details & paperwork based on the stuff I gave them and the calendar I kept, reclaimed the UK tax and paid the local stuff.
To me the hypo tax setup meant I got the same net as I would having if I'd been entirely UK based, including treatment of expenses etc etc. The different/extra tax for the local aspects was paid for by the company for me.
The only real wrinkles were the paperwork for the accountants as needed lots due to differing tax year dates in different countries, and the long long tail from the (non UK) tax I had to pay on the benefit I'd got from each year's tax being paid so it took years for that to decay down to the point it didn't need dealing with.
Strongly recommend you check who is paying for what, including accounting services.
JoshSm said:
Depends on who is paying what.
When I last did this I paid the hypo tax, kept up NI etc. Accountants were provided who sorted out all the details & paperwork based on the stuff I gave them and the calendar I kept, reclaimed the UK tax and paid the local stuff.
To me the hypo tax setup meant I got the same net as I would having if I'd been entirely UK based, including treatment of expenses etc etc. The different/extra tax for the local aspects was paid for by the company for me.
The only real wrinkles were the paperwork for the accountants as needed lots due to differing tax year dates in different countries, and the long long tail from the (non UK) tax I had to pay on the benefit I'd got from each year's tax being paid so it took years for that to decay down to the point it didn't need dealing with.
Strongly recommend you check who is paying for what, including accounting services.
Thanks Josh this is the type of thing I am after. I am fed up of reading and going around in circles. I thought some people on here would of done a similar thing. So thought I’d ask.When I last did this I paid the hypo tax, kept up NI etc. Accountants were provided who sorted out all the details & paperwork based on the stuff I gave them and the calendar I kept, reclaimed the UK tax and paid the local stuff.
To me the hypo tax setup meant I got the same net as I would having if I'd been entirely UK based, including treatment of expenses etc etc. The different/extra tax for the local aspects was paid for by the company for me.
The only real wrinkles were the paperwork for the accountants as needed lots due to differing tax year dates in different countries, and the long long tail from the (non UK) tax I had to pay on the benefit I'd got from each year's tax being paid so it took years for that to decay down to the point it didn't need dealing with.
Strongly recommend you check who is paying for what, including accounting services.
keo said:
Edible Roadkill said:
12 week on, 3 off ..yuck!
Thanks for that useful contributionEdited by keo on Wednesday 4th June 17:55
I’ve done 5/5, 4/4, 3/3 and 16 days/14 days, all of which are hard enough and over time have cost me friends - or at least meant we drifted apart. 12/3 sounds brutal.
Crumpet said:
I can t help on the tax front other than that most guys I know who do this base themselves in Dubai. Have you done rotations before?
I ve done 5/5, 4/4, 3/3 and 16 days/14 days, all of which are hard enough and over time have cost me friends - or at least meant we drifted apart. 12/3 sounds brutal.
Oh I know the rotation is rubbish but I am just telling myself nothing ventured, nothing gained. It won’t be forever. Make the most of it and earn a few quid. If I don’t like it I can try something else. 4/4 would be nice!I ve done 5/5, 4/4, 3/3 and 16 days/14 days, all of which are hard enough and over time have cost me friends - or at least meant we drifted apart. 12/3 sounds brutal.
I have worked offshore in the past but never a full time rotation. I have done many a 3 week trip, few days at home and then back offshore to another rig. So not 12 weeks in one go but I have spent a long time away with little home time.
I will be honest I have thought more about flying to Thailand rather than Dubai!
JoshSm said:
Depends on who is paying what.
When I last did this I paid the hypo tax, kept up NI etc. Accountants were provided who sorted out all the details & paperwork based on the stuff I gave them and the calendar I kept, reclaimed the UK tax and paid the local stuff.
To me the hypo tax setup meant I got the same net as I would having if I'd been entirely UK based, including treatment of expenses etc etc. The different/extra tax for the local aspects was paid for by the company for me.
The only real wrinkles were the paperwork for the accountants as needed lots due to differing tax year dates in different countries, and the long long tail from the (non UK) tax I had to pay on the benefit I'd got from each year's tax being paid so it took years for that to decay down to the point it didn't need dealing with.
Strongly recommend you check who is paying for what, including accounting services.
This all day.When I last did this I paid the hypo tax, kept up NI etc. Accountants were provided who sorted out all the details & paperwork based on the stuff I gave them and the calendar I kept, reclaimed the UK tax and paid the local stuff.
To me the hypo tax setup meant I got the same net as I would having if I'd been entirely UK based, including treatment of expenses etc etc. The different/extra tax for the local aspects was paid for by the company for me.
The only real wrinkles were the paperwork for the accountants as needed lots due to differing tax year dates in different countries, and the long long tail from the (non UK) tax I had to pay on the benefit I'd got from each year's tax being paid so it took years for that to decay down to the point it didn't need dealing with.
Strongly recommend you check who is paying for what, including accounting services.
I did a quick response last night....so just to modify my response & elaborate.
"hypo tax" is an artificial construct that some employers do when you are working overseas. Exactly how it would work will vary company to company & it can be quite confusing.
I was paid under a "hypo tax" regime on my last assignment. Before the assignment I got a statement about what my net earnings would be. Any tax liability would be paid by my employer. Each months payslip came through with the correct net amount & then there was a load of other entries which was where I "paid" tax. At the end of the year the company appointed accountants completed my personal tax return & depending on my tax residence position the taxes were either repaid by HMRC or not. Where the taxes were repaid they were refunded to the company rather than myself.
Hypo tax is not something most accountants or HMRC care about. In short it should mean you are in no different position whether you are UK resident or not. It is something companies do to manipulate your gross earnings. Your net is what matters.
A company implementing hypo tax really need to be appointing, paying & controlling whoever does you tax returns.
Most of the responses here are irrelevant, spend as many days in the UK as you like. If you are truly on hypo tax it makes no difference, unless the company places an obligation on you to remain mom-resident..
Oh and 12/3 in Iraq is crap.
Edited by GT03ROB on Thursday 5th June 08:13
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