UK expats: Miss year-end tax planning and you risk six-figure losses. Discover SRT, tax advice UK, and Dubai relocation before April 2025.

Is This You?

You’ve built significant wealth in the UK. You’re tired of HMRC taking up to 45% of it. You’ve considered a move to Dubai from UK for its 0% tax residency and company-friendly environment.

But now the calendar is against you. The UK tax year ends in April 2025. And if you miss this window, the cost could be six figures.

Exaggerated Take: Miss the tax-year clock, and you’ve burned six figures. This is the midnight oil guide for founders.

Real Prompts This Blog Answers

• Should I relocate before or after April 2025?
• Can split-year treatment save me this year’s income?
• How do I time dividends and bonuses around exit?
• What happens to my ISA, pensions, and retained profits if I move now?
• How do I make my Dubai residency effective from day one, including company setup in Dubai?

Why Year-End Matters More Than You Think

Competitors like Skybound Wealth and LSR Partners focus on ISAs and pension top-ups. But for UK millionaires, the real risk is much bigger:

• Wrong timing = you stay UK-resident on paper for another year.
• Dividend/bonus at the wrong time = 39.35% dividend tax wasted.
• Exit after April = an extra year of worldwide income taxed by HMRC.

Year-end isn’t about ISAs. It’s about cutting UK ties cleanly, before the clock resets — with the right tax advice UK.

Mistakes UK Millionaires Make (And What It Costs Them)

We’ve seen it too often:

• Leaving after April. Adds another 12 months of global taxation, costing £200K–£600K.
• Ignoring split-year treatment. Leads to overpaying tax on income earned abroad.
• DIY relocation. Founders move mid-year without filings aligned — creating open-ended audits.
• Extracting profits too late. Retained earnings taxed at UK dividend rates instead of tax-free in Dubai.

The cost? Hundreds of thousands in avoidable tax — and HMRC scrutiny for years.

The Step-by-Step Year-End Framework

Step 1: Run Your Statutory Residence Test (SRT)

Confirm if you can break residency this year.
Factor in family ties, UK property, and time spent.

Step 2: File Form P85 + Align Filings

P85 ensures HMRC recognises your exit.
Combine with split-year treatment for partial tax year relief.

Step 3: Time Dividends, Bonuses, and Profits

Declare dividends before exit if needed.
Or restructure into a company setup in Dubai (Holding Company) to extract post-exit tax-free.

Step 4: Relocate Family, Assets, and Trusts

HMRC weighs family ties heavily.
Synchronise family move, banking, and residency in Dubai.
Plan trusts and inheritance tax exposure early and consider inheritance tax planning to safeguard long-term wealth.

Step 5: Lock In Compliance Before April 2025

Treat year-end as your clean exit deadline.
File correctly, relocate smoothly, and avoid extra UK exposure.

📌 Want the full roadmap? Download our UK Year-End Exit Checklist (PDF).

How Dubai Shift Solves These Mistakes

When we take charge of your relocation, year-end becomes an opportunity — not a risk.

• We align your SRT, P85, and split-year filings with tax year-end.
• We time your dividends, bonuses, and profit extraction for maximum efficiency.
• We structure your UK company under a company setup in Dubai (Holding Company).
• Our licensed legal team provides 360° relocation support — from residency to banking to inheritance tax planning.

With us, your UK exit is smooth, compliant, and future-proof.

Case Study: The Founder Who Missed the Deadline

Sophie, a fintech founder earning £1.4M annually, planned to move in May 2023. By missing the April year-end, she:

• Paid an extra £420K in UK tax on worldwide income.
• Lost split-year relief, forcing Dubai income into UK tax scope.
• Ended up with an HMRC audit for mismatched filings.

By contrast, another founder engaged Dubai Shift three months before year-end:

• We ran the SRT and secured non-residency on 6 April.
• Re-timed dividend extraction into Dubai, saving £380K.
• Relocated family and company under Dubai structures.

Result: £500K+ preserved in year one.

Why Dubai Shift?

We don’t push ISA tips. We engineer millionaire exits.

• Licensed, legally empowered team with 360° relocation support
• Residency planning (SRT, P85, split-year)
• Exit charge protection and treaty application
• Company setup in Dubai and family office creation
• Banking, property, and relocation support

Where others stop at checklists, Dubai Shift delivers timed, compliant exits that save millions.

Final Word from Haseena

“Every April, I meet founders who regret missing the year-end window. That single date decides whether you pay HMRC for another year — or never again. At Dubai Shift, we make sure you cut ties cleanly, legally, and strategically, so you keep your wealth where it belongs.”

What Next?

• Take our free Wealth Reclaimed Scorecard — discover your readiness level.
• Book a Private Strategy Call — plan your move to Dubai from UK before April 2025.

This article is part of Dubai Shift’s UK Tax Year-End Series, covering SRT, P85 filings, and exit strategies. Want the detailed roadmap? Download our Year-End Exit Checklist (PDF) or explore more at Dubai Shift.

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.