And finally...

[Wanderer Returns]

Apologies for this indulgent post, but yesterday our house in the UK was finally sold after 14 months and 3 failed attempts! Now, at last, can get on with our lives down under 

Isn't there a form I need to complete to inform the HMRC about the sale, now that I'm no longer a UK resident? 

[ali]

Congratulations Wanderer - that's great news about the house.

[Marisawright]

Congrats, that must be a relief.

[MARYROSE02]

2 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

Apologies for this indulgent post, but yesterday our house in the UK was finally sold after 14 months and 3 failed attempts! Now, at last, can get on with our lives down under 

Isn't there a form I need to complete to inform the HMRC about the sale, now that I'm no longer a UK resident? 

Are you still submitting UK tax returns? Is there Capital Gains Tax? You  reminded me that my HMRC return is overdue now. Not my fault! I can't sign into the online site now and I did email them to ask for a hard copy form. I can't get past the identity checks - no UK passport. I never used to have a problem.

I'm thinking I should sell my home in the UK. It's rented out which is part of the reason I still do a tax form in the UK.

[Marisawright]

43 minutes ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Are you still submitting UK tax returns? Is there Capital Gains Tax? You  reminded me that my HMRC return is overdue now. Not my fault! I can't sign into the online site now and I did email them to ask for a hard copy form. I can't get past the identity checks - no UK passport. I never used to have a problem.

I'm thinking I should sell my home in the UK. It's rented out which is part of the reason I still do a tax form in the UK.

Have you got a tax agent looking after your British tax return?   If not, maybe the easiest thing is to contact Alan Collett and get him to sort it all out for you.  Much less hassle.

In your shoes, I would keep the Sydney unit (and maybe rent it out), and sell the UK home.  There are companies who can pack everything up for you and ship it to Australia, and there are also companies who can organise the sale.  They cost money, of course, but still probably cheaper than flying over there and trying to do it all yourself.  No doubt you'd end up shipping a lot of stuff to Australia that you don't need, but you could just get it all dumped into a storage unit (they are not that expensive) and then you can take as long as you like to work through it at your leisure.  

Edited February 13, 2021 by Marisawright

[ramot]

2 hours ago, Marisawright said:

Have you got a tax agent looking after your British tax return?   If not, maybe the easiest thing is to contact Alan Collett and get him to sort it all out for you.  Much less hassle.

In your shoes, I would keep the Sydney unit (and maybe rent it out), and sell the UK home.  There are companies who can pack everything up for you and ship it to Australia, and there are also companies who can organise the sale.  They cost money, of course, but still probably cheaper than flying over there and trying to do it all yourself.  No doubt you'd end up shipping a lot of stuff to Australia that you don't need, but you could just get it all dumped into a storage unit (they are not that expensive) and then you can take as long as you like to work through it at your leisure.  

We stupidly left household items in store in UK for years, biggest money waster ever. Ended up selling everything for peanuts, it eventually dawned on us we had forgotten most of what was in there, and it was unrealistic to even think of shipping anything here as we hadn’t needed it for years. Wished we had either sold years before or given it away, as no one wanted to pay for 2nd hand furniture. I blame IKEA!!  

[Bulya]

I don’t remember anything we shipped here let alone what we left behind.  

[Wanderer Returns]

4 hours ago, Bulya said:

I don’t remember anything we shipped here let alone what we left behind.  

Ours has been in storage in Brisbane since September and I can't say I've missed any of it, but my wife has. To me it's just 'stuff', and I'd be happy here either with or without it.

[Wanderer Returns]

7 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Are you still submitting UK tax returns? Is there Capital Gains Tax? You  reminded me that my HMRC return is overdue now. Not my fault! I can't sign into the online site now and I did email them to ask for a hard copy form. I can't get past the identity checks - no UK passport. I never used to have a problem.

I've been an Australian resident since January 2020, when I returned here. I've made a calculation on the sale of my property and I've only made 10 grand, so I wouldn't have to pay any CGT. I just want to make sure I've done the right paperwork, and ticked all the boxes.

[Jon the Hat]

Great news! We are awaiting exchange after 14 loooong weeks, our 2nd attempt at a sale.

[MARYROSE02]

On 13/02/2021 at 13:09, Marisawright said:

Have you got a tax agent looking after your British tax return?   If not, maybe the easiest thing is to contact Alan Collett and get him to sort it all out for you.  Much less hassle.

In your shoes, I would keep the Sydney unit (and maybe rent it out), and sell the UK home.  There are companies who can pack everything up for you and ship it to Australia, and there are also companies who can organise the sale.  They cost money, of course, but still probably cheaper than flying over there and trying to do it all yourself.  No doubt you'd end up shipping a lot of stuff to Australia that you don't need, but you could just get it all dumped into a storage unit (they are not that expensive) and then you can take as long as you like to work through it at your leisure.  

I haven't got a UK tax agent. I got used to using the online service myself and mostly had no problems with it. (I hope I have not denied myself a heap of tax breaks and refunds.) I keep meaning to ring HMRC but late at night I can never be bothered to do it. I locked myself out of my UK tax account on line too - (@#$$ing passwords but I'd not accessed the account for six months.) I did ring them but could not be bothered to wait on the phone for ages. That was a couple of weeks ago too. 

ATO is yet another hassle. They keep blocking me from accessing My Gov  - it's the "Compromised TFN branch" who have done it. I'm convinced my tax agent accessed my account and they blocked My Gov because of that. They did it once before then unblocked it and now they have blocked it again. I would not mind but it's almost impossible to contact them without endless waiting on the phone. There's no direct  phone no either and when they ring me it's an unlisted number so I don't now whether to answer or not. Actually, I got a form from my local MP in Sydney to authorise them to contact the ATO on my behalf. I must reactivate that process which I stopped when my account was unblocked the first time.

You are probably right about the UK house (and the Sydney house). I've at least contacted my solicitor in the UK and know they have my deeds and what steps to take if I do sell. I need to move those effects and I have made tentative enquires. Dither, dither, dither.

Does Allen Collet do UK HMRC returns then?

Thanks for the advice.

[MARYROSE02]

On 13/02/2021 at 15:43, ramot said:

We stupidly left household items in store in UK for years, biggest money waster ever. Ended up selling everything for peanuts, it eventually dawned on us we had forgotten most of what was in there, and it was unrealistic to even think of shipping anything here as we hadn’t needed it for years. Wished we had either sold years before or given it away, as no one wanted to pay for 2nd hand furniture. I blame IKEA!!  

When I decided to stay in the UK I flew back to Sydney for a holiday and put a heap of stuff from my flat into storage in my garage. Some of it is still in there from 1997.  Not enough to stop me parking my car in there but pushed up the back under dusty cover sheets.

In England in 2008 I did the same thing, but stored personal effects up in the loft after getting rid of the furniture. Such a job packing and putting there gear into the loft too. In my defence I wasn't sure if I was coming back to OZ for good. Now, my UK house has been rented out for 12 years which has been good income wise but I've got those things in the loft to ship out to OZ I guess. The tenant wanted to use the loft and I said fine if i can put the rent up to cover storage.

There are some family heirlooms there so I probably will ship it all out here then hopefully get my brothers to help me sort through it. I'm not a hoarder but I find it very difficult to chuck things out. It feels like I'm throwing my parents out (with the bathwater?)

[MARYROSE02]

On 13/02/2021 at 20:08, Wanderer Returns said:

I've been an Australian resident since January 2020, when I returned here. I've made a calculation on the sale of my property and I've only made 10 grand, so I wouldn't have to pay any CGT. I just want to make sure I've done the right paperwork, and ticked all the boxes.

Marisa was just suggesting I use Alan Collett to sort out my HMRC woes so maybe he might help you too. I've always had an Aussie tax agent. Damn! I need to get my act together.

[Marisawright]

2 hours ago, MARYROSE02 said:

Marisa was just suggesting I use Alan Collett to sort out my HMRC woes so maybe he might help you too. I've always had an Aussie tax agent. Damn! I need to get my act together.

That's the beauty of using Alan's company, they do both the UK and Aussie tax and can make sure they both match.  That's the trouible with tax these days - the British and Australian tax offices talk to each other and if you've stuffed up and forgotten something on one end, it can lead to a world of trouble at the other.  I recall one member here having to pay a big fine because his Australian tax agent didn't realise he had to account for some of the British income.

[MARYROSE02]

3 hours ago, Marisawright said:

That's the beauty of using Alan's company, they do both the UK and Aussie tax and can make sure they both match.  That's the trouible with tax these days - the British and Australian tax offices talk to each other and if you've stuffed up and forgotten something on one end, it can lead to a world of trouble at the other.  I recall one member here having to pay a big fine because his Australian tax agent didn't realise he had to account for some of the British income.

Thanks, I'll look into that. I've never under-declared my UK income in Australia and I'm pretty sure my high provisional tax reflects my UK Income piling on top of my Aussie income.  2016/17 was the bad year when my income went above the threshold for HECS  too. I should have allowed for provisional tax too. Now that I'm no longer working my income has dropped back below the HECS threshold and I've paid off my provisional tax.

Edited February 15, 2021 by MARYROSE02

[Wanderer Returns]

On 14/02/2021 at 20:47, Jon the Hat said:

Great news! We are awaiting exchange after 14 loooong weeks, our 2nd attempt at a sale.

Fingers crossed for this time around @Jon the Hat!

[carly baker]

Hi, Im looking for help with UK and Australian tax advice, who is Alans company?

 

[Tulip1]

8 minutes ago, carly baker said:

Hi, Im looking for help with UK and Australian tax advice, who is Alans company?

 

Go Matilda

[SPRINTER]

The tax side of Alans company is BDHTax, they have looked after our UK and Aus tax for a few years now, so far no problems and reasonable prices.

[Wanderer Returns]

7 hours ago, SPRINTER said:

The tax side of Alans company is BDHTax, they have looked after our UK and Aus tax for a few years now, so far no problems and reasonable prices.

Can you define reasonable?

[Wanderer Returns]

On 15/02/2021 at 12:35, Marisawright said:

That's the beauty of using Alan's company, they do both the UK and Aussie tax and can make sure they both match.  That's the trouible with tax these days - the British and Australian tax offices talk to each other and if you've stuffed up and forgotten something on one end, it can lead to a world of trouble at the other.  I recall one member here having to pay a big fine because his Australian tax agent didn't realise he had to account for some of the British income.

I'm certainly not against paying for tax advice in principle, but in practice is it worth it if one's affairs are straightforward? My UK house is now sold, and the only thing I have remaining over there is my UK private pension, and an ISA which I no longer contribute into. I didn't own any property other than my primary residence, and now that's sold I only intend to buy one property over here and then live in it - which I know is a radical concept in this day and age!  My only source of income is through employment here in Australia, and I'm on PAYG. If anyone can explain how I might benefit from a visit to a tax consultant, I'll certainly go and see one.

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Wanderer Returns said:

I'm certainly not against paying for tax advice in principle, but in practice is it worth it if one's affairs are straightforward? My UK house is now sold, and the only thing I have remaining over there is my UK private pension, and an ISA which I no longer contribute into. I didn't own any property other than my primary residence, and now that's sold I only intend to buy one property over here and then live in it - which I know is a radical concept in this day and age!  My only source of income is through employment here in Australia, and I'm on PAYG. If anyone can explain how I might benefit from a visit to a tax consultant, I'll certainly go and see one.

I'm not suggesting visiting a tax consultant, just a tax agent (i.e. a guy who does your tax return for you).    I would recommend it for your first tax return in Australia, especially if you have leftover matters in the UK that may have tax implications (like the sale of a property).   It's a good learning experience for you to see how the professionals do it, and ensures you don't miss anything useful in future DIY tax returns.  The fee is tax deductible as an expense the following year. 

[SPRINTER]

4 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

Can you define reasonable?

Everyone will have different matters that need dealing with so costs will differ, suggest you contact Alan for a quick chat and I am sure he will give you an idea of price. As far as we are concerned the price was very similar to our UK accountant when we lived in the UK solely. It is worth having someone who is conversant with UK and Aus tax matters as things can be missed doing it yourself.

[Parley]

If you do your tax online in Australia, most things are pre-filled automatically. The ATO knows your interest, dividends etc, salary and tax deducted.

It is very easy now. All you have to add are things like deductions you want to claim, donations etc.

I always do my own now.

If you have a lot of share transactions, it might be worth going to an agent but if not there is no point.

[Marisawright]

3 minutes ago, Parley said:

If you do your tax online in Australia, most things are pre-filled automatically. The ATO knows your interest, dividends etc, salary and tax deducted.

It is very easy now. All you have to add are things like deductions you want to claim, donations etc.

I agree.  The thing is, though, that a new arrival in Australia doesn't know about things what deductions you can claim.  It's not the same as the UK.  So I think it's worth getting a professional to do it the first time.

However, my post was actually directed at MaryRose, who has property in the UK and therefore a continuing need to do tax in both countries.