You could be owed tax from a foreign nation

Research from tax refund experts, RIFT Tax Refunds, has revealed just how much you could be owed from the tax man of a foreign nation if you’ve spent time working abroad either full-time or even temporarily.

The research by RIFT Tax Refunds looks at 11 foreign nations where UK nationals most commonly find themselves visiting in a professional capacity, whether it be a full-time role or through full-time employment within the UK, or on a more temporary basis, for example, on a work visa while travelling.

In terms of the highest average tax refund, nowhere is the tax man more forthcoming in returning overpaid taxes than in Belgium. The average annual tax refund comes in at £1,946, over £1,000 more than the UK average of £1,017.

The Republic of Ireland ranks second, with the average tax refund coming in at £1,590 annually, with Australia (£1,477) and Denmark (£1,015) the only other nations to breach the £1,000 threshold.

At £938 per year on average, Luxembourg is the only other country in the list to sit above the UK, while New Zealand ranks last, where the average tax refund sits at just £284.

However, when looking at this tax refund as a percentage of annual income, the UK does fare a tad better.

The average UK refund of £929 equates to 2.5% of the average annual UK salary. Only Belgium (4.8%), Ireland (4.1%) and Australia (3.1%) rank above the UK in this respect.

CEO of RIFT Tax Refunds, Bradley Post, commented:

“Whether it be during an extended period of travel, or as a result of your full-time job, many of us will have spent time working while abroad and, of course, we will have paid our way while doing so when it comes to taxes.

But what many of us fail to consider is whether or not we paid the right amount in tax and it’s not uncommon for a refund to be owed.

However, the criteria on which this refund is based will differ drastically from one country to the next and so it can be difficult to ascertain whether or not you may be owed money.

Regardless of whether you’re enquiring domestically or abroad, utilising tax refund professionals is the quickest way to get some initial advice and to take the further steps of claiming.”