# a uk tax specialist in sydney?



## olly1 (Dec 30, 2008)

hi we've been here for a year and we desperately need a UK tax specialist in sydney. Can anyone recommend a good one please who would have experience with lodging both australian and british tax returns?


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Hi Olly, 

Welcome to the forum. 

I can't help with that one since we still use our UK accountant in the UK (since we have property there we still have to fill in tax forms there although we are non-resident) and we have another local accountant in Oz.

Regards,
Karen


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## olly1 (Dec 30, 2008)

Hi Karen,

It seems impossible to find someone, yet i would have thought there would have been plenty of tax offices out there with british accountants with australian tax experience and vice versa (given the amount of ex pats in each country).

I didnt realise you could use a tax accountant in the UK for australian returns ( if that is what you are saying?) I know that it is possible to claim Uk tax exemptions for my uk rental property against my australian income if i put in an australian income tax return but i figured I needed someone who understood both uk and australian tax laws who worked in sydney to lodge a return here and maybe write to inland revenue as I am resident in australia?

I suppose Ill have to keep looking...

thanks for your reply 
regards
olly


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Hi Olly, 

No I'm saying that now I use a UK accountant for UK taxes and a local Aussie accountant for Aussie taxes. 

We are also going through this for the first time this year. 

Our UK accountant has done the UK self assessment forms for us and they've been submitted and we've heard back from HMRC in the UK how much we have to pay. Those figures are then given to our Aussie accountant and he'll take it from there. 

I think that the idea is that the tax from the UK will be entered on the Aussie tax forms and we won't be charged twice. 

As far as I'm aware no-one will have to contact HMRC in the UK since they already know that we've gone. 

Do HMRC know that you've left the UK? 
Have you filled in the Non residents Landlord scheme forms (they can be found at HM Revenue & Customs: Error page could not be found 

We're just going through this process now with our local Aussie accountant but I've confused him with my Quicken files since it wasn't clear to him what was from the UK and what was from here in Oz. We'll be meeting up with him again in the New Year and hopefully get it all sorted. 

Just think it's be much easier next year after we've been through this process once  

Regards,
Karen


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## olly1 (Dec 30, 2008)

hi Karen, - happy new year!

Yes I do understand. I re read your email ( i guess I didnt read correctly in the first place)and I realise what you're saying now about two accountants in diffierent countries. At first I tried to do this too in australia and do the tax return in UK as normal but it didnt seem to balance. 

We have filled in the relevant forms about UK tax however, there are things that you can claim in australia but cannot in the UK if you are claiming as an australian resident. Having said that however, if youve got kids and youve had a half/'a bit of' a tax year here and some work there, a property here and over there etc etc it does get really tricky and you can end up paying HEAPS of tax here if your not careful about lodging your australian return in the best way possible ( meaning so much tax that you actually have to take out a private loan to pay for it!). then the next thing you know inland revenue want some too!

Uk and OZ tax offices talk to each other so frequently - so why is it not possible to find a tax agent who really knows both systems well I wonder?

All those lovely letters and forms IR love to send us on a regular basis...surely we are not the only ones they write to who have immigrated here? ..we appear to have an endless stream of these forms/letters from IR arriving even if they are not relevant to our immediate situation - yet, all the same, they still ask us to fill 'em out and return them. 

So i figured that I ought to go and talk to someone in the know who may be able to help iron it all out...I really thought someone would know of someone at least in Sydney???

GRUMBLE....MUMBLE ....MOAN!

Ill let you know how I get on and if I do happen to find someone though! 

K.regards
Olly


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

What forms are HMRC (IR as they were) sending you? 

They sent us a PAYE code form so I rang them and pointed out that I didn't live there any more and they stopped doing that. 

Other than that and the results of our self assessment form we don't hear from them at all. 

I would check with them that they have all the info they require to know that you're no longer a resident there since sometimes one department doesn't talk to another. 

Parts of our income goes into a Trust and that lowers the tax liabilities here anyway. 

As I said this is our first tax return so we'll see what happens this time and if we have to change accountant then we'll do that next time but since we are in a rural area it's unlikely that any of the accountants around here have this kind of experience between the UK and Oz. 

Certainly keep us updated and we can swap tax tips 

Regards,
Karen


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## olly1 (Dec 30, 2008)

hi Karen,

Yes my point exactly.....they shouldnt be sending us any forms given we have filled them all out and communicated everything as required! We did get a letter from them indicating that they had made some errors but this also makes our australian return problematic. 

Just as an aside you may have some luck actually finding an accountant in rural SA if you're anywhere near waikerie...I went gliding down there many years ago and there are stacks of british pilots down that way climbing the thermals..you never know they may be happy to give out tax advice while they're waiting around for a good flying day! hahahaha


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

olly1 said:


> Just as an aside you may have some luck actually finding an accountant in rural SA if you're anywhere near waikerie...I went gliding down there many years ago and there are stacks of british pilots down that way climbing the thermals..you never know they may be happy to give out tax advice while they're waiting around for a good flying day! hahahaha


No we're further down south than that since we're in Mount Gambier but thanks for the tip.


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## Alan Collett (Feb 13, 2008)

You are welcome to contact me to discuss your requirements - T 03 9935 2929 (Melbourne).

I am a qualified CA in England & Wales, and in Australia.

Best regards.


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Alan Collett said:


> You are welcome to contact me to discuss your requirements - T 03 9935 2929 (Melbourne).
> 
> I am a qualified CA in England & Wales, and in Australia.
> 
> Best regards.


CA being a chartered accountant I assume. Well I never knew that - thanks for letting us know Alan. 

Regards,
Karen


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## Alan Collett (Feb 13, 2008)

That's the one Karen! See also my signature block.

Hope all is well with you.


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