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Our team of experts provides a wide range of financial services, including investment advice, retirement planning, and tax consultation.

FEATURED SERVICES
Planning as Non UK domiciled

Transitioning from domicile to residency-based taxation? Act now—our experts are ready to assist.

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Tax Efficient Repatriation

Advance planning with a bespoke strategy to be tax efficient when you return home.

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Tax Efficient Retirement Planning

Know when you intend to retire? Let us help you plan for the lifestyle you desire.

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Tax Efficient Investments

Making your investments tax efficient will produce a higher % return on your portfolio.

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Our team of experts provides a wide range of financial services, including investment advice, retirement planning, pension transfers, and tax consultation.
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We recognise that each client has unique needs and aspirations, which is why we provide bespoke solutions to safeguard and enhance your wealth.
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Our aim is to listen to your needs, ensure you reach your optimal financial position and keep you on course to reach your financial goals.

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reserved for the elite

Tailored Tax Planning To Secure Your Future

Darren was extremely helpful in advising and arranging my financial and retirement planning as an expat living in Dubai. With Darren’s help we were able to successfully navigate the relevant legislation especially when transitioning funds and repatriating to the UK. I would not hesitate in recommending Darren for his integrity, service ethic and competent financial advice for expats outside of the UK.
Richard Barclay
Business Leader, Restaurants, Events and Hospitality
Knowledge

Successful Solutions. Unparalleled Expertise.

The quality of your financial solution relies on the expertise of your adviser. At dV Elite, we boast extensive industry knowledge and decades of experience in the financial sector, ensuring unparalleled guidance and service.

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45%
Saved for clients on their Income Tax
28%
Saved for clients on their Capital Gains Tax
40%
Saved for clients on their Inheritance Tax
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Real Stories,
Real Success

Our clients are at the heart of everything we do.

Here's what they have to say about the difference our financial services have made in their lives and businesses.

Trusting someone’s advice with your hard-earned international pension was a challenge. But then I met Darren. He is a totally trustworthy professional who has helped me transfer what I had into a UK tax efficient structure. Darren helped obtain favorable succession planning tax advice backed by counsel opinion and assisted with my repatriation to the UK.

Neil Stone-Wigg
CIO at Centaur Fund Services

I have been working with Darren for a number of years now, both as an expatriate and UK resident. He was part of my original asset / wealth management planning and was extremely helpful during my repatriation, spending a good deal of time to discuss, plan and help me complete the processes. He is able to communicate all relevant tax matters in an easy to understand but comprehensive manner and provide confidence and trust. I continue to talk things through with Darren and find it extremely helpful.

Craig Ireland (CA, CFA)
Retired

I was introduced to Darren a few of years ago to help plan for a gradual family move to the UK. Having ties to more than one country made for some interesting tax planning, and Darren helped simplify a complex subject into understandable steps. Understanding UK domicile and residency and the consequences of family gradually transitioning from the UAE to UK was vital. The correct investment structure and appropriate trust planning, especially with the UK transition from a domicile to residency basis of taxation, required bespoke planning. I am grateful to Darren for his expert and ongoing advice as I transition through various stages of family life. The planning provides for flexibility as I decide when and where to eventually settle, with tax efficiency and succession planning at its core.

Shaun Killa
Design Partner at Killa Design

When you move abroad and have a pension in the UK you are suddenly inundated with advice on moving it, but for something as critical as your life savings, and future financial security, who do you trust? After receiving numerous cold calls and emails I eventually decided I had to be proactive and decide for myself. Darren was recommended to me as someone who "knew his stuff“, a career professional with knowledge and understanding of cross border tax planning who could be trusted. I contacted him and he did a thorough review of my situation and expectations, and longer-term plans, before recommending how to structure my pension. He continues to take an active interest in my portfolio, reviewing it regularly with my investment advisor. As I approach retirement and consider returning to the UK we have had some initial discussions on further tax planning as well as how I might approach longer term estate planning, thinking about the whole family. Some of the decisions are complex and require detailed knowledge of the rules and regulations, getting them wrong can have severe consequences. I trust Darren to have my best interests at heart and appreciate the advice he offers.

Nich Guthrie
Senior Portfolio Forecasting Advisor at Boehringer Ingelheim

Darren was extremely helpful in advising and arranging my financial and retirement planning as an expat living in Dubai. With Darren’s help we were able to successfully navigate the relevant legislation, especially when transitioning funds and repatriating to the UK. I would not hesitate in recommending Darren for his integrity, service ethic and competent financial advice for expats outside of the UK.

Richard Barclay
Business Leader, Restaurants, Events and Hospitality

Darren and his team provided me with invaluable advice and inputs when planning for a UK repatriation after 30 years of overseas employment in the Energy Industry in various parts of the world including Europe, the Middle East and SE Asia. Big decisions around pensions, tax, domicile and lifestyle can throw up a vast range of complex scenarios and Darren is supremely capable at helping clients to visualise a manageable number of alternative choices and weigh up the pros and cons of each, set alongside some of the uncertainties that include family footprint, investment risk appetite, outlook for health and happiness and the transition from full time work to retirement. In summary, I would fully recommend engaging with Darren to share your circumstances together with questions around potential opportunities and dilemmas as you consider UK repatriation in the years to come.

Mark
Recently Retired to the UK
The Experts

Our Team

Meet the experts behind our success. Each member of our team brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to excellence.

Darren Jones CFP

Senior Tax Specialist
Darren specialises in taxation and trust planning for clients of diverse nationalities, with a focus on UK-based solutions including inheritance tax avoidance, tax planning for returning UK expatriates, and multi-generational estate planning.
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Benjamin Pugh

Business Development Associate
Ben’s expertise lies in fostering strong client relationships, ensuring their financial goals are met with bespoke solutions.
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Simon Pitkin

dV Property Manger
With over 15 years of global investment experience and a solid track record, Simon is renowned for his unmatched expertise and commitment.
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Lauren Greaves

Foreign Exchange Private Client Manager
Lauren leads our Middle East FX team, adeptly meeting clients' global Foreign Exchange requirements.
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Rhiann Colwill

Marketing Manager
Rhiann drives branding and content creation at dV Elite, leveraging years of marketing expertise in the field.
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Greg Cooke

Chief Marketing Officer
Greg utilises his vast marketing background, including managing his own agency, to propel business growth and nurture client connections across dV Elite's marketing platforms.
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Services
IPB Tax Advantages

Safeguard Assets with an International Portfolio Bond

UK Trust Planning

Protect your Wealth with a Family Trust

Pensions and DTAs

UK Tax Efficiency: Expats and Pension Planning

FAQs

Have a question?

We’ve compiled a list of answers to the most common enquiries we receive.

I have a UK property that used to be my main residence. If I sell it as an expat, will I pay UK capital gains tax (CGT)?
  • The period for which it was your main residence is excluded from UK CGT
  • It may be possible to claim CGT exemption for years when you and/or your spouse spend 90 nights in the property
  • As an expat, any gains made prior to the 6th April 2015 are excluded from UK CGT
  • If available to you, you may offset your annual CGT exemption of £3,000 per owner in the year of sale (tax year 24/25)
  • Expenses such as legal and estate agency fees may be offset, as may allowable capital expenditure
  • You should be aware of UK CGT rates being higher for UK property gains at 18% (basic rate) and 28% (higher rate). Unlike income tax, there is no additional rate of CGT, with 28% being the highest charging rate.
  • Unlike UK resident sellers, when selling as a non UK resident, you must file a return with HMRC within 60days of completion date, irrespective of whether a taxable gain has been made
  • For more detail click here
  • N.B. always double check you are not liable to tax in your current country of residence
Does it make a difference / is there any advantage, of re-occupying the property when I move back to the UK?
  • If you repatriate to the UK and re-occupy the property which used to be your main residence, it may be possible to claim Private Residence Relief for the whole ownership period
  • Qualifying periods of absence are described in HMRC Helpsheet HS283
  • The most relevant exemptions may be:
    1. Absences, for whatever reason, totalling not more than 3 years in all
    2. Absences during which you’re in employment and all your duties are carried on outside the UK
    3. Those absences totalling not more than 4 years when either:
      • The distance from your place of work prevents you living at home
      • Your employer requires you to work away from home in order to do your job effectively
  • Exemption b. may need caution as we have experience of HMRC querying claims when taxpayers changed employer at the point of moving abroad and/or did not live in employer funded/provided accommodation abroad
What is the capital gains tax position if I sell a UK property as a non UK resident?
  • If you acquired the property on or after the 6th April 2015, you are liable to UK CGT on the whole gain, less allowable expenses/exemptions
  • If you acquired the property before the 6th April 2015, you are only liable to tax on value increase since 6th April 2015
  • There are 3 ways to calculate your gain or loss:
    • Using the market value at 5th April 2015
    • By calculating the gain over the whole period (the date the property was acquired to the date it was disposed of) and then working out what the gain since 5 April 2015 is as a proportion – known as time apportionment
    • By calculating the gain over the whole period
  • For more detail click here
  • You should check the terms of any double taxation treaty between the UK and your country of residence at point of sale
What is the capital gains tax position if I return to the UK and sell a property I owned/bought as a non UK resident?
  • You are liable to CGT on the entire increase in value from acquisition to sale
  • There is no relief for your period of non UK residency
  • You may claim exemption for any period it was your allowable main residence
  • If at all possible, it may be beneficial to sell before repatriation
How is my investment portfolio taxed when I move back to the UK?
  • This is dependant on how your investments are structured
  • Assets held on an investment platform, perhaps with a bank, a stock broker or an online provider, will be liable to:
    • Income tax year by year as income is generated in the form of, say, interest, dividend, coupon or rent
    • Capital gains tax on profits from acquisition, with no allowance for periods of non UK residency
    • If held inside a trust, inheritance tax (IHT) avoidance may be achievable but income tax and CGT is usually taxed either on the settlor or likely at the higher rate applicable to trusts, with reduced personal allowances and exemptions
  • It is possible to invest via an insurance contract in a tax efficient jurisdiction such as the Isle of Man, Channel Islands or Dublin, where tax may be deferred
    • Such contracts are typically subject to income tax and not CGT
    • Profits usually accrue gross with no tax year by year (Except for any irrecoverable withholding tax)
    • Credit will be given on a time apportioned / pro rata basis for any periods of non UK residency
    • Regular withdrawals can often be made from tax free capital only, leaving taxable profit invested until after capital is exhausted. This is especially useful for UK residents in retirement taking, say, 5% pa for 20 years.
    • Holding the investment contract within a trust does not worsen the tax treatment and may reduce or avoid Inheritance Tax (IHT)
How many days can I spend in the UK before becoming UK tax resident?
  • Most people use a ‘rule of thumb’, being 90 days
  • This may be correct, but must be checked by reference to the UK Statutory Residency Test (SRT)
  • Most working UK expats avoid UK residency by working 35 hours per week, work physically in the UK for no more than 30 days of 3 hours a day, and spend no more than 90 ‘midnights’ (rather than days) in the UK
  • However, failing this “automatic overseas test number 3” does not necessarily mean you are UK resident and, whilst also ensuring you do not pass any automatic UK tests, you must consider connecting factors or “ties” to the UK. These include:
    • Accommodation tie – typically a home of your own where you spend at least 1 night in the year. However, may also be the home of someone else with whom you spend 16 nights in the year.
    • Family tie – typically a spouse, civil partner or long term partner who is UK resident. It can also be triggered by a dependant child who is UK resident with whom you spend more than 60 days in the year.
    • Work tie – this applies if you work in the UK in the year for 3 hours or more per day for 40 days
    • 90 day tie – this applies if you spent more than 90 days in the UK in either of the previous 2 UK tax years
  • If you are non UK resident, and the following year are relying on the sufficient ties test, the following table indicates your maximum midnights in the UK before triggering UK residency:
    • 1 tie               -              182 days
    • 2 ties             -              120 days
    • 3 ties             -              90 days
    • 4 ties             -              45 days
My spouse is UK tax resident. Does that affect my own UK tax status?
  • Each individual is assessed independently against the statutory residency test
  • The effect of having a UK resident spouse, civil partner or long term partner is for the sufficient ties test
  • (See previous question for more details)
I am a UK national living overseas for many years. Do I pay UK inheritance tax (IHT)?
  • Under current rules, IHT is driven by domicile, not residency
  • If you are UK domiciled, you pay IHT on your worldwide assets
  • If you are non UK domiciled, you pay IHT only on your UK situs assets
  • Domicile is usually established in one of 3 ways:
    • Domicile of Origin – you usually follow the domicile of your father on the day you are born
    • Domicile of Choice – you move permanently to a single new country, make a life there, cut ties from your domicile of origin and have a minimum of three years resident in the new country
    • Deemed domicile – you are tax resident in the UK for 15 of the previous 20 years
  • It is possible to be non UK resident for decades, yet still maintain a UK domicile and your estate be liable to IHT on death
  • At time of writing, the Conservative Party had proposed a review of rules to move away from domicile to a residency basis of taxation
  • The Labour Party subsequently issued a press release to suggest they would take a similar line
  • We must keep a watching brief over the coming months to see the detail as it emerges
I am a UK citizen / passport holder but non UK domiciled by origin. I intend to move to the UK in the future. What will be my tax position for Income tax, Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Inheritance Tax (IHT)?
  • The rules relating to UK resident, non domiciled people, often referred to as UK res non doms, have been criticised by the Labour Party for many years
  • The Conservative Party, in the spring budget 2024, proposed new rules and Labour responded suggesting they would adopt a similar approach, as follows:
    • The current remittance basis of taxation, potentially allowing non doms 15 years of tax free foreign income and gains, would be abolished
    • Subject to being non UK resident for 10 years prior to moving to the UK, on becoming UK resident, foreign income and gains (FIG), of any sort, would not be taxed for the first 4 years of UK residency
    • This will apply irrespective of whether such income and gains is remitted to the UK
  • The detail has yet to be published and it will be important to understand to whom these rules, if introduced in legislation, will apply
  • As detailed in a previous Q&A, IHT may also move to a residency basis of taxation
    • This is likely to involve a requirement to have 10 years non UK residency to avoid UK IHT on non UK assets, and 10 years of UK residency to acquire a liability to IHT on global assets
    • Irrespective of residency, IHT will be payable on UK situs assets
How can a UK citizen with a UK domicile avoid Inheritance Tax (IHT)?
  • There are currently circa 100 exemptions to IHT in the UK, so many strategies can be effective
  • Examples would be:
    • Outright gifts in your lifetime to beneficiaries
    • Gifts to family trust(s) with restricted access to the donor
    • Gifts or loans of a restrictive nature
    • Assets held in certain qualifying pension arrangements
    • Investments into certain types of business
  • This is an evolving and complex area, often reliant on common law principles, and requires expert and bespoke advice relevant to your circumstances
I have UK pension funds and live in the UAE / GCC. How do I access them tax efficiently?
  • If you are age 55 or above (rising to age 57 from 2028), you are entitled to access your UK registered pension fund(s)
  • Subject to the rules, size and type of scheme, typically 25% of the value will be accessible UK tax free
  • The balance is treated as income and taxed as such in the UK at point of distribution
  • However, there are many double taxation treaties between the UK and other countries, mainly sitting taxing rights where you, the pension member, live, not where the pension is housed
  • Certainly the UAE and 3 other GCC countries are party to such treaties allowing you to claim treaty relief and access 100% of the remaining pension fund (subject to scheme rules) tax free, both in the UK and where you reside
  • The process requires careful planning and takes quite some time to complete
  • You must also remain non UK tax resident for the entire UK tax year of drawing benefits
  • UK temporary non residency rules must also be considered
I am confused by the UK pension Lifetime Allowance (LTA). Does this still apply?
  • The LTA was abolished by the Conservative Party effective April 2024
  • Historically, the effect of the LTA was to tax pensions funds valued in excess of the LTA, set at £1,073,100 at point of abolition
    • It was possible to have a higher LTA based on various protection and enhancement rules
    • Tax rates on excess value over the LTA were either 25% or 55% depending on whether value was withdrawn as income or lump sum
  • It has been replaced by a Lump Sum Allowance (LSA) and a Lump Sum Death Benefit Allowance (LSDBA)
  • The LSA and LSDBA are set at the level of the old LTA
    • The LSA is mainly used to limit tax free lump sum to 25% of the LSA
    • The LSDBA is mainly used to apply income tax on excess value over the LSDBA at point of death, if the member is under age 75
  • Taxation for the pension members in lifetime is largely limited to income tax on withdrawals, hence beneficial over the previous LTA rules
  • The Labour Party suggested they would reintroduce the LTA if elected but there was no mention in their manifesto
  • It has been suggested it may be too complex to reverse
  • The whole area is extremely complex with some hastily drafted legislation ahead of the 2024 General Election creating unexpected / unintended consequences
  • If your pension is greater than the £1.0731m allowances, if you drew benefit or transferred your pension to a QROPS ahead of April 2024, or if your UK pension may grow to in excess of the allowances, it is important to seek expert advice
I have a UK defined benefit pension scheme. Should I consider transferring it to a personal pension such as a Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP)?
  • Defined benefit pension schemes can offer very valuable benefits and such a decision needs detailed advice, analysis and consideration
  • In recent years, especially during years of exceptionally low interest rates, transfer values offered by defined benefit schemes have been temptingly high, causing many pension members to transfer
  • At Elite, we have access to sophisticated software to model various scenarios to help you compare options
  • The default position should typically be not to transfer, unless your circumstances are such that significant benefit may be gained
  • As mentioned in another Q&A, in much of the GCC, and sometimes elsewhere, you may be able to draw pension income 100% tax free
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dV Elite is a trading name of Acuma LLC, SCA licence no. 608008 Registered address: Level 4, 1 Sheikh Zayed Rd | H Hotel, Office Tower | PO Box 23940

Whilst being confident of the accuracy of information contained in this website, it must not be replied upon when making any personal decisions, particularly in regard to taxation and financial planning matters. Appropriate and bespoke financial and taxation advice, relevant to your own circumstances, should always be sought.
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