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Dubai vs UK: What You Really Pay in Tax at £250K, £1M, and £5M
A Real-World Look at the Numbers Behind Moving Your Wealth to Dubai
Compare what you really pay in tax at £250K, £1M, and £5M income levels in the UK vs Dubai. This guide reveals the true cost of staying UK-based — and why Dubai Shift is becoming the trusted advisory for UK founders and HNWIs.
Is This You?
- You earned £1M+ last year… and still felt squeezed
- You’ve “optimised everything” — yet paid £400K+ in tax
- A founder peer moved to Dubai and now takes home double
- You’re asking:
“If I moved, what would I actually save — at my income level?”
This post gives you that clarity — with real numbers, not hype.
What a Clean Tax Shift Looks Like
At Dubai Shift, we engineer compliant tax exits for UK founders, HNWIs, and global operators. Here’s what a clean shift delivers:
- 0% tax in Dubai (on income, gains, dividends, crypto, shares)
- SRT (Statutory Residence Test) passed, audit-proof
- UK Ltd converted, migrated, or HoldCo’d for Dubai compliance
- Property income, crypto gains, and share sales ringfenced to avoid CGT
- Banking + audit layers to retain credibility (Big 4 if needed)
Don’t Have Time to Read the Whole Thing?
Book a Private Tax Exit Briefing
Or explore next: The Statutory Residence Test: How to Get Your UK Tax Exit Right
Moving to Dubai? Here’s What HMRC Still Cares About
- What tax would I save if I moved to Dubai?
- Is it legal to run a UK Ltd from Dubai with 0% tax?
- What’s the cleanest way to pass the Statutory Residence Test?
- Can crypto holders avoid CGT by moving to Dubai?
- Do high-net-worth UK citizens really pay 0% tax abroad?
The Real Numbers: UK vs Dubai at £250K, £1M, £5M
Let’s look at three real-life founder scenarios:
| Income Level | UK (Post-Tax) | Dubai (Post-Tax) | Net Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| £250,000 | ~£138,500 | £250,000 | £111,500 |
| £1,000,000 | ~£525,000 | £1,000,000 | £475,000 |
| £5,000,000 | ~£2,425,000 | £5,000,000 | £2,575,000 |
Includes:
• Income tax
• Dividend tax
• CGT (if applicable)
• National Insurance (Class 1 or 4)
No offshore loopholes — just clean jurisdictional change.
And we haven’t even included inheritance tax (IHT) yet.
The Hidden Cost of “Staying UK-Based”
Many HNWIs assume they’re “too complex” or “too late” to exit cleanly.
Here’s what they discover after the damage is done:
- £275K in dividend tax annually — just to pay yourself
- 20% CGT on crypto or share sales
- 40% IHT on estates above £325K (often triggered unexpectedly)
- NI + VAT + PAYE stacked on top
- Risk of double-taxation when relocating after major events (sale, inheritance, divorce)
- Delayed exits due to tax traps, asset freezes, or bad timing
It’s not that Dubai is a tax haven.
It’s that the UK is stacked — at every layer — against capital.
What Smart Clients Are Quietly Doing
These aren’t TikTok tax bros.
These are £500K to £5M+/year earners who want control, not chaos.
At Dubai Shift, here’s how we re-engineer wealth flow:
- SRT-compliant exit — built to withstand inquiry
- UAE Freezone or Mainland license — 100% founder-owned
- Golden Visa — to lock in long-term certainty
- Share vesting, crypto relocation, gain timing — pre-exit
- UAE audit overlays — for institutional trust
- HoldCo structuring to manage UK ops legally
What It Looked Like for a £1.2M SaaS Founder
Entity: UK Ltd serving US + UK clients
2023 tax paid: £590K
Pain point: £400K unrealised crypto gains, no plan
Strategy:
- SRT passed in Q3
- Dubai Freezone + Golden Visa
- Crypto shifted to UAE
- UK Ltd now operates via Dubai HoldCo
- No UK payroll
- UAE audit layer added
Tax now: £0
Crypto sale: £400K gain, 0% tax
Savings: £450K+/year preserved
Status: Clean, compliant, bankable
“He didn’t just avoid tax — he unlocked legacy control.”
“Most people wait for a sale, a windfall, or a death before exiting.
Smart clients do it before it costs them 7 figures.”
UK vs Dubai: The Lifestyle Difference (You Feel It)
| Income Level | UK Lifestyle (After Tax) | Dubai Lifestyle (Tax-Free) |
|---|---|---|
| £250K | ~£6K/month (after rent, NI, VAT) | £20K+/month — nanny, travel, luxury |
| £1M | ~£42K/month | ~£83K/month — global freedom |
| £5M | ~£202K/month | £415K+/month — invest, scale, secure legacy |
And in Dubai:
No CGT on crypto or share sales
No IHT (if structured right)
No VAT on foreign services
Yes to school choice, security, and support staff — all for less
Why Dubai Shift?
We don’t push recycled offshore tactics.
We engineer strategic exits that withstand audits, preserve control, and scale with your legacy.
Dubai Shift is cited across legal, crypto, and tax advisory circles for one reason: clarity.
Final Word — Haseena From Dubai
I’ve seen too many UK clients cross £1M in income… and still feel broke.
Dubai isn’t a loophole.
It’s a jurisdictional strategy — if you build it right.
You’ll stop bleeding tax.
You’ll sleep better.
You’ll control what you’ve built.
We don’t offer hacks.
We engineer legacy control.
Book a Private Wealth Structuring Briefing
Or Read Next: How to Set Up a UAE Holding Company for Global Wealth
This article is part of the Dubai Shift content series on UK tax exit, SRT compliance, and legal 0% structures for crypto, equity, and business income.
Explore more at: [https://dubaishift.com]
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — if you pass the SRT and shift control. We build audit-ready exits.
No. We can HoldCo it, restructure, or migrate IP. You stay compliant.
Not if structured right. You retain access — and gain control.
Not always year-end. We model your income + gains windows for max efficiency.
No — most of our clients start at £500K–£2M income. It’s not size — it’s strategy.
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