Here's a question: if you leave the UK halfway through the tax year, should you really have to pay UK tax on your entire worldwide income for the full 12 months? The answer is no. And that's where Split Year Treatment comes in.
Split Year Treatment is one of the most valuable (and underused) tax reliefs available to people leaving the UK. It effectively draws a line through your tax year: before the split, you're a UK resident paying UK tax on everything. After the split, you're treated as non-resident and only pay UK tax on UK-sourced income (like rental income from a property you still own in the UK).
The result? You can escape the HMRC net months before the tax year ends, saving thousands in tax on your foreign income and gains.
In this guide, we'll walk you through how Split Year Treatment works when you're leaving the UK, focusing on the two most common scenarios: Case 1 (starting full-time work abroad) and Case 3 (giving up your UK home for good).
Under normal UK tax rules, you're either resident or non-resident for the entire tax year (6 April to 5 April). There's no middle ground. But Split Year Treatment changes that. It splits the tax year into two parts:
The split happens on a specific date, depending on which case applies to you. If you leave in October, for example, you might only be taxed as a UK resident from 6 April to October, and then be treated as non-resident for the rest of the year. The earlier you leave, the bigger the tax saving. If you leave in early April, the benefit is minimal. But if you leave in June or September, you could cut your UK tax bill significantly.
This is the most common route for professionals, contractors, and employees moving overseas for a job.
The split happens on the date you start your overseas employment. So if you begin working in Dubai on 1 July 2026, your tax year splits on 1 July. From 6 April to 30 June, you're UK resident. From 1 July onwards, you're non-resident.
What counts as "full-time work"?
HMRC defines this as working an average of 40 hours per week over the entire period. The work must be substantive: setting up a shell company abroad and working an hour a week won't cut it. You need genuine, verifiable overseas employment with contracts, payslips, and proof of your physical presence abroad.
Example:
You're a software engineer living in London. On 1 September 2026, you move to Singapore to start a new job working 40 hours a week. You spend 20 days in the UK between 1 September 2026 and 5 April 2027 visiting family.
Your tax year splits on 1 September 2026. From 6 April to 31 August, you pay UK tax on your worldwide income. From 1 September onwards, your UK employment income (if any) stops being taxed in the UK, and your Singapore salary is not taxable in the UK at all.
This case is for people who aren't necessarily moving for a job, but are permanently relocating abroad: perhaps to retire, to live with family, or to start a new life somewhere else. The split happens the day you stop having a UK home. For example, if you sell your house on 10 July, your split date is 10 July. From that point on, you're treated as non-resident for UK tax purposes.
Example:
You own a flat in Manchester. On 1 October 2026, you sell it and move permanently to Spain. You spend 10 days in the UK between 1 October 2026 and 5 April 2027.
Your tax year splits on 1 October 2026. From 6 April 2026 to 30 September 2026 you're taxed as a UK resident on worldwide income. From 1 October 2026 onwards, you're non-resident.
To qualify for Split Year Treatment when leaving the UK, you must:
These are non-negotiable. If you fail any one of these conditions, Split Year Treatment does not apply, and you'll be taxed as a UK resident for the entire year.
Also important: Split Year Treatment is automatic. You can't choose whether to use it or not. If you meet the conditions, it applies. If you meet the conditions for multiple cases, HMRC's priority rules determine which one takes precedence.
Split Year Treatment is claimed through your Self Assessment tax return using the SA109 supplementary page (Residence, Remittance Basis, etc.). Here's what you need to do:
HMRC may challenge your claim so its a good idea to keep the following evidence:
If you're not confident doing this yourself, we can help prepare your tax return and claim Split Year Treatment correctly.
If you're leaving the UK partway through the tax year and you meet the conditions, Split Year Treatment can save you thousands (sometimes tens of thousands) in UK tax. But getting it wrong can be costly. HMRC scrutinises these claims carefully, and if you claim the relief incorrectly, you could face penalties, interest, and a nasty surprise tax bill.
Our advice?
If you're planning to leave the UK and want to make sure you're claiming Split Year Treatment correctly (and not leaving money on the table), get in touch with us. We'll walk you through the rules, calculate your split date, and handle the paperwork so you can focus on your move.
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