DUBAI // Experts yesterday sought to clarify proposals from UK tax authorities that could result in some British expatriates having to pay personal income tax.
The proposals are part of a consultation paper that examines the number of days British expatriates spend in the UK, and suggests linking their residency status to a list of four criteria.
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But tax experts stressed that most Britons were unlikely to be affected by the changes.
"Fundamentally, I do not believe that the government is trying to bring more people into the tax net by stealth," said Martin Rimmer, a tax technical manager for the UK-based Fry Group, which advises British expatriates financially. "For many people who have sought to stick by the current rules, we will probably find that the new guidelines produce broadly the same outcome - non-resident status," he said.
As The National reported yesterday, the UK treasury has drawn up plans that could see British nationals facing a residency test to determine their tax status. The paper is expected to become law in its current or modified form on April 6.
The four criteria are: whether they have family in the UK, whether they spend a substantial time working in the UK, whether they have available accommodation such as an unrented house in the UK, and whether they have been in the UK for more than 90 days in the past two years. These factors are then linked to how much time they can spend in the UK before being classified as residents.
Tax experts advised people who spend between 10 and 183 days in the UK per tax year to seek professional advice to clarify whether they have to pay income tax.
Those who spend more than 183 days in the UK and who also meet one of the four criteria are most likely to have to pay income tax. Those least at risk are those with legal residency status abroad and who spend limited time in the UK every year.
"This would particularly be the case for those who are working in continuous, full-time employment in the UAE and work for less than 20 days in the UK per tax year," said Mr Rimmer. Those who would be affected most, he said, were those who worked for more than 20 days in the UK per tax year and those who had retired or only had part-time work in the UAE. "In a nutshell, the more connections back in the UK such a person has, the lower the number of days they can spend in the UK without becoming resident," he said.
nhanif@thenational.ae
Click here for some hypothetical situations provided by Dean Rolfe, tax and legal services leader for PwC in the Middle East. The answers are for guidance purposes only, and should not be considered a substitute for formal advice based on individual circumstances.
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
The specs
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
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Championship play-offs, second legs:
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Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
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Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
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Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
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Indika
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.