Here we go, it's no good leaving the UK...

[BoredBloke]

Sounds like a f**king banana republic to me.

All thanks to the king banana muncher. The tax system in this country is just legalised extortion whereby the rules are made fuzzy enough to justify HMRC picking small groups to hit

[AtW]

Sounds like a f**king banana republic to me.

In a banana republic such offshore owners would have to bribe tax office or risk being put to the wall.

[Tarquin Farquhar]

In other words the law is set up such that the individual has no means to assure himself of the legality of his actions but HMRC can decide retrospectively that his actions did not comply with the law?

Sounds like a f**king banana republic to me.

What's a banana republic? A country whose citizens have no right to choose their head of state?

[Mich the Tester]

In a banana republic such offshore owners would have to bribe tax office or risk being put to the wall.

Probably cheaper and more trustworthy.

[Moscow Mule]

In other words the law is set up such that the individual has no means to assure himself of the legality of his actions but HMRC can decide retrospectively that his actions did not comply with the law?

Sounds like a f**king banana republic to me.

There's a form you can fill in to tell them you're leaving.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/tax-leave-uk.htm

I'm pretty sure that form didn't exist in 1976 though...

[AtW]

There's a form you can fill in to tell them you're leaving.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/tax-leave-uk.htm

I'm pretty sure that form didn't exist in 1976 though...

You right. The web wasn't invented back then.

[AtW]

In general the rules for days in the UK specify that IF you exceed those limits then you WILL be resident or normally resident. Nowhere is it said that if you do NOT exceed those limits then you will not be resident.

Exacto mundo.

[Mich the Tester]

What's a banana republic? A country whose citizens have no right to choose their head of state?

Well we could debate that but I can’t be bothered. What does bother me is this tendency to set up laws that leave lots of room for interpretation and then determine that an interpretation can be applied retrospectively; it’s normal for laws and their interpretation to evolve, especially in a common law system; it’s even desirable as it allows the law to evolve with the times. It is absolutely NOT a good thing to artificially and retrospectively alter interpretations to the advantage of one party, that being HMRC or the individual. The whole point of the ‘rule of law’ is that government AND people follow the law as it stands and as it is commonly interpreted, and not how someone thinks it should have been x years ago.

I have a solicitor and a tax lawyer who advise me on what I can legally do. They are trained to advise me on how the law works and is applied in my circumstances, and how to keep myself on the right side of the law. They are not trained to advise me on retrospective changes to the law or retrospective changes to interpretation of the law that are going to happen at some stage in several years time. Once that situation arise, lawyers/solicitors are of no use to me and we enter the realms of astrology, witch doctors and other assorted cranks. Am I to put my tax and legal affairs in the hands of Mystic Meg?

[Mich the Tester]

There's a form you can fill in to tell them you're leaving.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/tax-leave-uk.htm

I'm pretty sure that form didn't exist in 1976 though...

As I understood it there was never an obligation to inform the British authorities of my whereabouts unless I am suspected of a crime. I am, after all, a British citizen, which used to mean I am a free man.

[DimPrawn]

Sounds like a f**king banana republic to me.

Here, have a f**king banana.