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Who Needs International Tax Advice in the UK?

  • Writer: S Najam
    S Najam
  • 17 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

International tax advice is needed by UK-connected businesses and individuals with income, assets, or family ties across more than one country — including expats and non-doms living in the UK, UK residents with overseas assets or income, business owners structuring cross-border operations, and families with beneficiaries in multiple jurisdictions. Sheikh Najam TEP, MCIArb, MA (Tax Law) is a Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer based at Fox Court, London, advising on exactly this kind of cross-border tax exposure.


Why "International" Tax Advice Is Different


Ordinary UK tax advice assumes everything relevant sits inside one tax system. The moment a second jurisdiction is involved — a property abroad, an overseas business, a family member outside the UK, or income earned in more than one country — the rules multiply. Double taxation treaties, residence and domicile status, reporting obligations to more than one tax authority, and structuring decisions that work in one country but backfire in another all come into play. Getting this wrong doesn't just mean paying more tax than necessary; it can mean double taxation, penalties, or structures that later prove impossible to unwind.


Who Are UK-Connected Businesses and Individuals?


"UK-connected" covers a broad range of situations — anyone whose financial life touches the UK and at least one other country. In practice, this includes:


1. Non-doms and international individuals living in the UK Anyone who has moved to the UK but retains financial ties abroad — property, business interests, investments, or family — needs advice on how UK tax rules interact with their non-UK status, particularly given the recent changes to the non-dom regime.


2. UK residents with overseas assets or income This includes UK nationals with foreign property, offshore investments, overseas pensions, or income from work carried out abroad. Each of these can trigger reporting obligations and tax exposure in more than one country.


3. Business owners with cross-border operations Entrepreneurs and family businesses expanding overseas, or setting up UK entities as part of an international group, need structuring advice that accounts for corporate tax rules in each relevant jurisdiction — not just the UK's.


4. Families with cross-border succession Where beneficiaries, trustees, or assets are spread across countries, succession planning has to account for how more than one tax system treats trusts, inheritance, and gifts — often very differently from the UK approach.


5. Foreign nationals investing in the UK Overseas individuals or companies acquiring UK property or businesses need advice on UK tax exposure from the outset, including how it interacts with tax obligations in their home jurisdiction.


How This Fits Into a Wider Practice


International tax advice rarely stands alone. Sheikh Najam's work in this area typically connects to:


  • International Corporate Tax & Structuring — designing tax-efficient structures for businesses and family offices operating across borders.

  • Private Wealth & Succession Planning — aligning international tax exposure with trust and estate planning where families or assets span multiple countries.

  • Notarial & Cross-Border Legal Services — as a City of London Notary Public appointed via the Court of Faculties, authenticating documents for use in other jurisdictions, which cross-border tax and corporate matters frequently require.

  • Dispute Prevention & Resolution — as a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb), structuring cross-border arrangements to reduce the likelihood of disputes between tax authorities, business partners, or family members.

His MA in Tax Law (University of London), focused on UK, EU, and International Tax Law, sits behind this work.


Signs You May Need International Tax Advice

  • You've moved to or from the UK within the last few years and haven't reviewed your tax position since.

  • You hold property, investments, or a business interest outside the UK.

  • You're setting up or expanding a business with any overseas element.

  • Your family includes beneficiaries, trustees, or assets in more than one country.

  • You're a foreign national buying UK property or investing in a UK business.

  • You've received advice from a UK adviser who wasn't able to speak to the overseas side of your situation.


Get in Touch

Sheikh Najam TEP, MCIArb, MA (Tax Law) advises UK-connected businesses and individuals on international tax and cross-border structuring from Fox Court, 14 Gray's Inn Road, Holborn, London WC1X 8HN.


About the author


Sheikh Najam, London Notary and Attorney at Law
Sheikh Najam, London Notary and Attorney at Law

Sheikh Najam TEP, MCIArb, MA (Tax Law) is a Private Wealth & International Tax Lawyer, City of London Notary Public, and European Attorney based at Fox Court, London. He holds TEP status (Trust and Estate Practitioner) via STEP, is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and holds an MA in Tax Law from the University of London, focused on UK, EU, and International Tax Law. He is Vice President for Notarial Affairs and an Advisory Board Member at Justinian Lawyers, the network of the Association of European Attorneys. Learn more at sheikhnajam.com.

 
 
 

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