Buy-to-let tax guide: The lowdown for landlords living abroad

Daniel LeesTaxLeave a Comment

You still have to pay income tax if you live overseas for six months or more, and rent out your UK home.

If you live overseas for six months or more while renting out a UK home, HMRC classes you as a ‘non-resident landlord’. You have to pay income tax in one of two ways. You either receive your rent in full and pay tax through self-assessment – to do this, you have to apply for approval from HMRC (gov.uk/tax-uk- income-live- abroad/rent) – or your lettings agent or tenant has to deduct your tax and pay it to HMRC. This is a hassle for all of you, as you could easily pay too much or too little tax.

If you sell your property while living abroad, you also have to pay capital gains tax on any gains after 5 April 2015. You have to tell HMRC about the sale within 30 days of its completion, even if you’ve made a loss.

The Accidental Landlord

In the post-Brexit world of jittery prices, tax changes and 140-plus landlord laws, this Amazon bestseller tells you how to let out your own property with complete peace of mind.

Buy the book
Get free help

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.