Skip to main content

This is a new service – your feedback will help us to improve it.

Posted Wed, 03 Apr 2024 21:29:55 GMT by Elaine Yip
Hi, I immigrated from Hong Kong to the UK with a BNO visa, I landed the UK in mid July 2023 and have lived in the rented house since then, so I am a UK tax resident for tax year 23/24. Please kindly reply my following questions: 1) I have worked for a freelance job in HK since April 2023 and continue the work in UK till now. Do I declare the income of Apr to July 2023 to HK and Aug 2023 to Mar 2024 to UK? 2) Referring to question 1 above, if it’s a split year, how much personal tax allowance I will have? £12570 or pro rata ? 3) I sold some stocks in HK in June 2023 before I landed UK, are the dividend and capital gain taxable to UK for they fall in the tax year 23/24? 4) I sold my home property in July 2023 before I landed UK, I lived in the property for 91 days in the tax year 23/24, so am I correct that I don’t have to pay capital gains tax to the UK? 5) I have mutual funds in bank account in Hong Kong, is it correct that I don’t have to declare capital gain until I sell the mutual funds and realize the gain? 6) I transfer my savings from bank account in HK to UK for my living regularly, I understand that it is tax free to transfer my previous saving to UK but is there any time limit to be eligible for tax free? 7) Is the interest generated from my previous savings in HK subject to UK tax? Thank you so much for your attention and I look forward to hearing from you.
Posted Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:51:45 GMT by HMRC Admin 32 Response
Hi,

You will need to look at the guidance on split year treatment. If it applies, you only mention your income from 6 April to the date you arrived as a freehand note. If split year treatment does not apply, you need to declare your foreign income from 6 April and claim a tax credit for foreign tax paid.  
The tax treaty between the UK and Hong Kong, means you are taxable in the UK on the Hong Kong income from the date your arrived in the UK.  
Personal allowance is not split in any way, where you claim split year treatment. You are still entitled to the full amount. Declaring the capital gains tax from the disposal of shares in Hong Kong, will depend on split year treatment.
You can claim private residence relief for disposing of a property that was your main residence. If the property was your main residence for the whole period of ownership, private residence relief will cover all of any gain, so no tax is payable.
Split year treatment will determine if you need to declare the disposal on a tax return. The disposal of an overseas asset should be reported in a self assessment tax return, whether or not a gain arises. Provided that your savings transferred to the UK, were earned while you were not UK resident, they will not be taxable. Split year treatment will determine what interest is declared.
If split year treatment applies, you declare your UK income and capital gains for the whole tax year and your world-wide income and capital gains, from the date you arrived in the UK.  
If split year treatment does not apply, you are required to declare your world-wide income and capital gains for the whole tax year and claim a foreign tax credit for up to 100% of the foreign tax paid.

Thank you.

You must be signed in to post in this forum.