Do UK Citizens "file" Income Tax Like We Do In US?

[Shari 6]

Good morning! I am a little confused. My husband moved here in September from the UK. We will be filing married joint on my US taxes (he didn't work in the US in 2005 because he just got his work permit in January), but I was confused whether he has to report his UK income here because he has already been taxed in the UK. Is that how it works - in the UK you are cut taxes but you don't file taxes at the end of the tax year like we do? In other words, in the UK do you have to do ANYTHING with your taxes other than have them cut from your paycheck? Thanks!

[annelizabeth 1]

You only have to fill out a tax return if the inland revenue request it. If you have really straightforward earnings then it is not uncommon to never have to fill in a return. However, once they latch on to you for whatever reason (investments, job perks, company cars etc) they will probably send one every year.

Generally speaking the tax that is taken from your salary is pretty accurate.

However, if your hubby stopped working part way through a tax year (april to april) he will probably qualify for a rebate in the UK

[Shari 6]

You only have to fill out a tax return if the inland revenue request it. If you have really straightforward earnings then it is not uncommon to never have to fill in a return. However, once they latch on to you for whatever reason (investments, job perks, company cars etc) they will probably send one every year.

Generally speaking the tax that is taken from your salary is pretty accurate.

However, if your hubby stopped working part way through a tax year (april to april) he will probably qualify for a rebate in the UK

Annie, thank you for the information. He stopped working the middle of June in the UK. So we should try to see if he gets some money back from what he paid into them? Do you know how we would go about it? Thanks!

[SteveLaura 0]

It's worth trying to get the rebate - tho I'm still waiting to hear back from them. Try www.hmrc.gov.uk & look for a form to download. He will need to send his P60 (end of year tax form) or possibly P45 (end of employment tax form) to show how much he has already paid. Unless he was self-employed, it's unlikely that he has filed taxes directly. Good luck.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Shari,

Look here:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/r_and_d.htm

I think your husband will need to fill out a the p85 form, which you can download there, and will need to send in his P45 which he would have been given when he left his job

[ladybutterfly 0]

Yep, definately get him to fill in the P85 form 'Leaving the UK'. I also entered the US in September and got all the taxes I had paid to the Inland Revenue from April 2005 to July 2005 refunded back to me. Its worth doing as my refund was about 800 quid.

[ChristinaM 0]

If you didn't hit the threshold for the year, do you get your tax rebate on filing your P85, or do you still have to file a tax return?

[rebeccajo 14]

As far as doing your US tax return, we used TurboTax this year. It handled the foreign earned income just fine. You have to concentrate a bit when you answer the questions but it's only $40 (cheaper than an accountant probably) and I was comfy with it.

[broma25 2]

When I sent in a P85 they also asked for my P45 and also my P60.