Record-keeping is a General Struggle

Convincing my clients to keep their own records is not a small feat. There is always a great level of resistance.

After all, you are genuinely busy in business and family life and there are so many hours in a day and you have your own ideas on how to best spend your time.

This is all perfectly human and understandable, but not for UK tax and immigration purposes.

What are the advantages of keeping your own records?

Being disciplined about keeping your own records for UK tax and immigration is rewarding:

• • It puts you in a driving seat;
  • You control the narrative as you are able to back it up with evidence;
  • You are being proactive, calculated and not leaving anything to chance that may come back to haunt you.

What type of records do you need to keep?

The most important record is your day count in the UK for UK tax and immigration.

What is a Day Count?

You will need to count your days spent in the UK.

For UK tax purposes

When you know how many days you spent in the UK, it may be fairly easy to assess whether:

• • You are tax resident in the UK; or
  • You are not tax resident in the UK;
  • Any legal requirements or obligations arise based on your days spent in the UK.

For UK immigration purposes

You will need to do so in order to qualify for the next step in your immigration journey, whether:

• • You were compliant with the UK immigration requirements and did not overstay your visa;
  • You have spent enough time in the UK to qualify for the indefinite leave to remain or British citizenship;
  • You are open and transparent about your time spent in the UK to UK immigration authorities.

Is the Day Count Requirement the Same for UK Tax and Immigration?

Although you are required to keep your day count records for UK tax and immigration purposes, the counting method is not the same and it is best to be left for your UK tax and immigration professional to advise you on the possible consequences for UK tax and immigration purposes.

What other records do you need to keep?

You will need to keep any transactional documents for UK tax and immigration purposes.

Some of the best records are:

• • Bank statements (preferably, UK bank statements);
  • Employment or self-employment evidence;
  • Utility bills;
  • Tenancy agreements;
  • Family records, such as marriage, birth and death certificates;
  • Relevant contracts and agreements.

How to make it easy to keep your records?

Everyone of my clients have perfected their own approach to record-keeping.

This may be electronically kept shareable documents accessible on a google drive or a folder of hard copy documents that can then be easily scanned and shared.

The advances in technology may make it easier and faster to keep all the necessary records together and be readily available when necessary.

Need to secure your own UK tax or immigration advice?: 

• • Explore our offer: Your Global Wealth Strategy with the Emphasis on UK Tax Planning;
  • Book a call with me to discuss with me whether this offer right for you or how it needs to be further tailored and adjusted to accommodate your specific needs and circumstances;
  • Book a consultation with me.

You will be first guided to a payment page when you choose “book a call” option. After making the payment, you will be able to choose the most convenient date and time for our Zoom meeting. You can report a payment issue here.

Saule Voluckyte, M.A.E.S, LL.B, FAIA

I have been working exclusively with UHNWI in Mayfair, London since January 2008. I built specialist knowledge and expertise required to serve ultra high net worth individuals investing, operating and relocating to the UK or Switzerland.

Within the industry, I am the single adviser who is able to traverse the different areas of expertise and bring a comprehensive approach across: global structuring, UK immigration, international taxation and FOREX to develop their global wealth strategy, while they build, grow and expand their wealth worldwide.

Previous experience as one of the senior advisors for the government, made me a go-to person when delicate and uncomfortable scenarios involving heads of state need to be handled with care and preserve privacy.