Our valued sponsor

Tax warning for Brits with holiday homes or overseas bank accounts

Martin Everson

Offshore Retiree
Staff member
Moderator
Jan 2, 2018
10,318
1
9,998
173
Register now
You must login or register to view hidden content on this page.
Tax warning for Brits with holiday homes or overseas bank accounts - Your Money

UK taxpayers with overseas tax liabilities have just a few weeks left to disclose them to the tax authorities or risk a stiff penalty.
2319794-spanish-villa-730x400.jpg

New legislation called ‘Requirement to Correct’ requires UK taxpayers to notify HMRC about any offshore tax liabilities relating to UK income tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax.

So if you generate interest from a foreign bank or savings account or overseas shares, rent from a holiday home, or income or gains from a trust abroad, you have until 30 September to declare it.

The deadline coincides with the date more than 100 countries will exchange data on financial accounts under the Common Reporting Standard.

Chris Davidson, chair of The Chartered Institute of Taxation’s Management of Taxes Sub-Committee, said: “HMRC will soon be receiving a huge amount of information from other tax jurisdictions and we have been left in no doubt that they will use it to launch investigations and, in some cases, criminal prosecutions against individuals who have not made a correct and complete declaration of their offshore income and assets to the UK tax authority.

“The days of HMRC being ‘in the dark’ about UK taxpayers’ offshore bank accounts and other interests are over.

“This makes it all the more pressing that taxpayers check their positions now to ensure that they minimise their risk of receiving a penalty for failing to correct, or worse, put themselves at risk of a criminal prosecution.”
 
"HMRC will soon be receiving a huge amount of information" - that's true. Much more than they can handle or have the resources to investigate.

I wonder what the threshold for a criminal prosecution is going to be...
 
Like in most other EU countries it will take time for them to process all the data they will receive about tax evaders. In a few years we will see how this will be going.
 
"

I wonder what the threshold for a criminal prosecution is going to be...

Under Failure To Correct rule the threshold is £25,000. If found guilty you face a fine and/or up to 51 weeks in prison.

Requirement to Correct tax due on offshore assets
 
Register now
You must login or register to view hidden content on this page.