Moving to the UK is a significant step. Getting your tax affairs structured correctly before you arrive — not after — can make an enormous difference to your financial position, both during your time in the UK and beyond.
The FIG Regime — Your Most Important Opportunity
If you have not been UK tax resident for at least 10 consecutive years, you may qualify for the Foreign Income and Gains (FIG) regime — the most significant tax opportunity available to new arrivals in the UK.
Under the FIG regime, your foreign income and gains are exempt from UK tax for up to four tax years, with no limit on the amount and no annual charge. Unlike the old remittance basis, income and gains sheltered under the FIG regime are permanently exempt — even if you later bring the funds to the UK.
But the clock starts ticking from the moment you become UK tax resident — including the year of arrival.
This means pre-arrival planning is critical. Decisions about bank accounts, investments, trust structures and the timing of asset disposals made before you set foot in the UK can have lasting consequences.
What You Need to Think About Before Arriving
The questions we help new arrivals address include: do you qualify for the FIG regime and for how many years? How should your overseas assets and investments be structured during your FIG period? Do you have offshore trust interests that need to be reviewed? What are your UK reporting obligations from day one? How do you plan for the transition to worldwide taxation when your FIG period expires?
The Statutory Residence Test
Establishing when you become UK tax resident — and managing your residence position carefully — is the foundation of any arrival planning.
The Statutory Residence Test is the framework that determines your UK residence status, and understanding how it applies to your specific circumstances is essential from the outset.
What Happens After the FIG Period?
After four years, you become fully taxable in the UK on your worldwide income and gains. For many clients, this transition requires careful advance planning — restructuring investments, reviewing trust arrangements, and considering the UK inheritance tax position as time in the UK accumulates.
How Laggan Can Help
We advise individuals and families planning a move to the UK at every stage of the process — from the initial planning conversation before arrival through to ongoing compliance and long-term structuring. We work with clients from across Europe and internationally.
If you are planning to come to the UK, speak to us before you arrive.
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"The team at Laggan have been supporting our business’ growth over many years. Never just as a service provider, but more as a trusted partner, supplementing our resources, ensuring reliable and efficient operations and providing valuable advice on key structuring decisions"
A. Beolchini, Nextenergy Capital
"A great partnership in a key moment to develop and grow our UK business, thanks to the team efficiency and promptness in addressing our needs and requests"
P. Gullo, Officine Gullo Srl
" Thank you to the Laggan team for their dedication, efforts and continuous prompt assistance to our UK business and key personnel"
