UK Residency & Arrival/Departure Planning for Expats

Get Started
International Services

UK Statutory Residence Test (SRT), Split-Year & Travel Day Planning

Moving to or leaving the UK? Our specialists help you determine your UK tax residence under the Statutory Residence Test (SRT), apply split-year treatment where eligible, plan your day-counts and UK ties, and complete the right HMRC forms when you arrive or depart.

As AAT AML supervised accountants, we help expats, non-UK residents, and globally mobile executives make confident, compliant decisions. We model your day-counts, review UK ties, and plan key dates so you avoid unexpected UK tax — and know exactly which filings you need.

AAT AML supervised — trusted, compliant advice for expats and globally mobile professionals.

Clear, practical guidance on SRT, split-year treatment, and temporary non-resident rules.

Joined-up planning with your payroll, investments, property, and business interests.

Fixed-fee options for clarity; rapid onboarding for tight timelines.

End-to-end support: Self Assessment, P85 where applicable, PAYE and HMRC correspondence.

What we cover

  • SRT & split-year analysis: Day-count modelling, UK ties review (family, accommodation, work, 90-day tie), and split-year cases (arrivers/leavers).
  • Temporary non-resident checks: Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and income rules when leaving and returning within a short window.
  • Form P85 and PAYE: We assess whether P85 applies when you leave the UK and coordinate the correct payroll steps when UK work starts or stops.
  • Self Assessment (SA109): Residence and foreign income and gains (FIG) pages, FIG-regime eligibility where relevant, historic pre-6 April 2025 remittance-basis matters, and double tax relief claims.
  • Non-Resident Landlord & property: NRLS registration, UK rental reporting, and 60-day CGT property returns.
  • Business & employment moves: UK company/directorships for non-residents, shadow payrolls, and social security/A1 guidance.

Need ongoing help? We can also handle your Self Assessment, year-end accounts, VAT, and company formation if you’re starting a UK business.

Typical engagement timeline

  1. Discovery call: Travel dates, work pattern, accommodation, family ties.
  2. Evidence & modelling: Passport stamps/itineraries, day-counts, UK ties, split-year cases.
  3. Written advice: Clear SRT outcome, planning actions, and required filings.
  4. Implementation: P85 where applicable for leavers, payroll coordination, SA109 and Self Assessment.
  5. Ongoing support: Monitoring, HMRC correspondence, and deadlines.

Tip: Keep a simple travel log and retain flight/boarding passes. Accurate evidence makes SRT much easier.

How our SRT & split-year review works

1) Pre-travel/exit check

We review planned dates and warn of tie thresholds before you book or depart.

2) Day-count modelling

We map your stays and apply automatic and sufficient ties tests to project residency.

3) Filing roadmap

We confirm split-year cases, temporary non-resident exposure, and required filings (P85, SA109).

4) HMRC ready

We prepare P85, coordinate with payroll, and complete Self Assessment with supporting schedules.

FAQs — UK residency, arrivers & leavers

  • What is the Statutory Residence Test (SRT)?
    SRT is HMRC’s framework for deciding if you’re UK tax resident in a given tax year, based on automatic tests and sufficient ties tests with day-counts. We model your days and ties and outline actions to achieve your desired position where possible.
  • When does split-year treatment apply?
    If you arrive or leave the UK part-way through a tax year and meet specific cases, the year can be split into UK-resident and non-resident parts. This often reduces tax on non-UK income/gains arising outside your UK-resident part.
  • What are temporary non-resident rules?
    If you leave the UK and return within a short period (commonly fewer than 5 full tax years), certain income/gains realised while away can be taxed on your return. We assess your timeline and help you plan accordingly.
  • Do I need to complete Form P85?
    P85 is for eligible people who have left or intend to leave the UK. It is generally not required if you will submit a Self Assessment return for the year of departure, so we assess whether P85 or the SA109 residence route is appropriate and coordinate the relevant payroll steps.
  • Can you help with Self Assessment and SA109?
    Yes. We complete the SA109 residence and foreign income and gains (FIG) pages, assess any current FIG-regime claim, deal with historic pre-6 April 2025 remittance-basis matters where relevant, and prepare double tax relief or treaty claims.