Question 1

Is my UK pension still taxed in the UK once I live in Malaysia?

Accepted Answer

Mostly not. Under Article 19 of the 1996 treaty, UK occupational and personal pensions are taxable only in Malaysia once you are treaty-resident there, and we handle the NT code or repayment claim through HMRC. The State Pension and most government service pensions stay UK-taxable, and whether the pension is actually remitted to Malaysia can affect the relief. We check which side you fall on before anything is claimed.

Question 2

Does an MM2H visa make me non-resident in the UK?

Accepted Answer

No. The UK taxes your worldwide income until you have broken residence under the Statutory Residence Test, and an MM2H visa changes nothing on its own. Movers with a job aim for the full-time work abroad test: broadly an average of at least 35 hours a week overseas with no significant break, fewer than 91 UK days and no more than 30 UK workdays. Retirees cannot use that test and fall back on the sufficient ties test, where a kept UK home makes summer visits the pressure point.

Question 3

I live in Malaysia and still let a UK property. What do I need to do?

Accepted Answer

Keep filing. UK rental income is taxed in the UK whether you are resident or not. Under the Non-Resident Landlord Scheme your letting agent, or a tenant paying you more than £100 a week direct, must deduct 20% from the rent unless HMRC approves your NRL1 application to receive it gross, and approval does not exempt you from tax, it moves collection to your Self Assessment return. The property income goes on the SA105 pages alongside the SA109. Most British landlords keep the £12,570 Personal Allowance abroad, which often wipes out the tax on a modest rental profit.

Question 4

I am moving from Malaysia to the UK. What should I sort out in the first year?

Accepted Answer

Your residence date and your claims. The Statutory Residence Test decides the year. If you were not UK resident in any of the three prior tax years, fewer than 46 UK days makes you automatically non-resident, while 183 or more days makes anyone resident. Arrive part-way through and a split-year case can keep most pre-arrival foreign income outside UK tax. After at least 10 consecutive non-resident years the four-year FIG regime may be open to you. Both are claimed on the SA109, and we file it.

Question 5

How much does a UK tax return cost if I live in Malaysia, and can you do it remotely?

Accepted Answer

£550 fixed for a non-resident or expat tax return. We file the SA109 residence pages that HMRC's free online service cannot file. Personal tax returns start from £350 and complex returns from £750. Advisory work, such as departure planning or a treaty pension claim, is quoted as a fixed fee agreed in writing before any work starts, never an hourly rate. Everything is handled remotely from London, with year-round support and direct access to the adviser. Start with a free 30-minute clarity call.

A Chartered Tax Adviser for UK expats in Malaysia and the move either way

Handled for you, end to end

Guides for Malaysia, if you want the detail first

Moving to Malaysia from the UK: the 2026/27 tax guide

UK Statutory Residence Test (SRT) Explained

Split-Year Treatment Explained: UK Tax in the Year You Move

NRL1 Form, NRL2 and Non-Resident Landlord Tax on UK Rent

Leaving the UK: a tax guide for people moving abroad

Expat Self Assessment: UK Tax Returns from Abroad

Double Tax Relief UK: How to Avoid Being Taxed Twice

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UK Statutory Residence Test Calculator

Relocation Comparison

Accounting Fee Estimator

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What this work costs

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UK tax advice, wherever you are moving

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