The Ultimate Checklist for Moving a UK Business to Dubai

Relocating your UK business to Dubai? This ultimate checklist is your survival kit — covering SRT exit, P85 filing, freezone setup, visas, and unlocking retained profits tax-free. Avoid a £500K HMRC mistake with Dubai Shift.

Is This You?

You’re not just a UK business owner — you’re running a company that throws off serious profits. £750K, £1.5M, maybe £3M+. Yet every quarter, you face the same problems:

• Each tax bill feels like a punishment for success — no matter how much you reinvest or how hard you work, HMRC always takes the lion’s share.
  
• Your money is stuck in limbo — millions locked inside your UK Ltd, with no clean way to extract it without another round of taxation.
  
• You’re constantly looking over your shoulder — HMRC letters, changing rules, and the fear that one compliance slip could cost you six or seven figures.
  
• Your global ambitions are stalled — you want to scale into new markets, invest in Dubai property, or diversify into crypto, but UK tax rules keep you boxed in.
  
• Family life is entangled in the tax net — property in London, kids in school, or a spouse working in the UK can all undo your escape plan if not handled correctly.
  

You don’t need another glossy brochure about Dubai sunshine. You need a step-by-step survival checklist — the exact moves that protect your wealth, unlock trapped profits, and let you build a tax-free life in Dubai without handing HMRC another £500K mistake.

Real Prompts This Blog Answers

• What forms must I file with HMRC before leaving?
• Do I need to shut down my UK Ltd?
• Which Dubai freezone works for a UK founder?
• How do I extract trapped profits without tax?
• Can this all be done in under 90 days?

A Brief About the Topic

Checklists online tell you to book flights and hire movers. That’s not your problem. Your problem is:

• Breaking UK residency cleanly (SRT).
• Choosing the right Dubai entity.
• Unlocking profits tax-free.
• Securing residency, banking, and family relocation.

This checklist is built specifically for UK founders with £500K–£2M+ in profits who need a compliant, profitable exit from HMRC.

Breakdown of Steps

Step 1: Confirm Your UK Tax Exit (SRT + P85)

• Run the Statutory Residence Test (SRT).
• File Form P85 with HMRC.
• Apply for split-year treatment where possible.

📌 Why it matters: Fail the SRT, and HMRC still taxes you as UK resident, even if your company is in Dubai.
🔗 Related: Statutory Residence Test UK: A Complete Guide

Step 2: Choose the Right Dubai Business Structure

• Freezone company: 100% ownership, 0% corporate tax.
• Mainland entity: needed for local trade.
• Holding company: to own your UK Ltd and release retained profits.

📌 Why it matters: The wrong entity = trapped profits and compliance nightmares. Whether you’re considering how to setup a company in Dubai or comparing freezones, the right choice decides your outcome.
🔗 Related: Everything You Need to Know About Moving Your UK Business to Dubai

Step 3: Extract Retained Profits from Your UK Ltd

• Re-domicile UK Ltd under a UAE HoldCo.
• Distribute retained profits without UK dividend tax.
• Reinvest tax-free into global assets, crypto, or Dubai property investment.

📌 Why it matters: Many founders leave £500K–£2M trapped. Done right, you unlock it tax-free.
🔗 Related: How UK Business Owners Can Access Retained Profits by Moving to Dubai

Step 4: Secure Dubai Residency & Banking

• Apply for Dubai residency visa (business, golden, or property).
• Open compliant UAE bank accounts.
• Align UK + UAE accounting.

📌 Why it matters: Without banking and residency, the tax exit collapses.

Step 5: Relocate Family & Lifestyle Assets

• Secure school places (British curriculum, IB, elite options).
• Sign property under your visa.
• Draft DIFC wills for succession, including trusts and inheritance tax.

📌 Why it matters: HMRC looks at family ties. If your family stays, your tax risk stays.
🔗 Related: Moving to Dubai with Kids: All You Need to Know

Step 6: Maintain Ongoing Compliance

• File UAE corporate submissions (avoid the new 9% tax pitfalls).
• Keep UK filings clean under Dubai HoldCo.
• Review SRT annually.

📌 Why it matters: Dubai is 0% tax only if structured and maintained properly.

Why a Checklist Matters

Most guides tell you to “book flights” and “hire movers.” Your reality is different.

You need to:

• Break UK residency cleanly (SRT + P85).
• Choose the right Dubai entity for tax efficiency.
• Unlock trapped profits without triggering HMRC.
• Relocate your family and secure residency.

This is a high-stakes process — and this checklist is your framework.

Supporting Details & Strategies

• Timing matters → leave mid-tax year + split-year treatment.
• Banking introductions are key → not all UAE banks welcome new companies.
• Family relocation secures residency status → HMRC counts family ties.
• Don’t stop at incorporation → structure for retained profits from day one.

Case Study: £2M Freed, £480K Saved Per Year

A London-based founder with £1.2M profits and £2M retained earnings followed this exact checklist with Dubai Shift.

• Broke UK residency under SRT.
• Repositioned UK Ltd under Dubai HoldCo.
• Extracted £2M retained earnings tax-free.
• Cut annual UK tax burden by £480K.
• ROI: 30x vs. €15,000 advisory fee, with capital diversified to invest in Dubai real estate.

Why Dubai Shift?

Charterhouse and others give you relocation checklists. We give you:

• End-to-end structuring: SRT → HoldCo → Family relocation.
• Banking introductions that actually open accounts.
• Concierge relocation for families and HNW needs.
• Ongoing compliance oversight, backed by expert tax advice UK.

Final Word from Haseena

“Moving your business to Dubai isn’t about visas and trade licenses — it’s about protecting what you’ve built, breaking free from HMRC’s grip, and giving your family the freedom you’ve worked for.

Every founder I work with shares the same fear: losing control of their wealth to a system stacked against them. My role is to make sure that never happens.

At Dubai Shift, we don’t just set up companies — we engineer a clean, compliant exit from the UK tax net, unlock millions in trapped profits, and design a future where your wealth compounds without penalty.

If you’re ready to secure your legacy and stop paying for HMRC’s mistakes, I’ll make sure your move to Dubai works — the first time, and for the long term.”

What Next?

• Take the Wealth Reclaimed Scorecard –  to discover how much you could save
• Book a Private Strategy Call – to map your exit and profit extraction plan

This article is part of Dubai Shift’s premium series on UK-to-Dubai business migration, covering tax exits, retained profits, and freezone structuring. Explore more at: https://dubaishift.com

Haseena from Dubai

A founder, a Dubai insider, globally seasoned. Writing to you from the city I’ve always called home — but now see with fresh eyes.