Citizenship question

[Epsilonn]

Hello, my name is Nick, I am a Romanian living and working in the UK for 4 years straight.

I got a job in Ireland through an UK agency that will pay my taxes in the UK. It is a contract position.

Now, if I relocate to Ireland but will be paid through an UK recruiting agency, will I still be able to apply for UK passport (when the right time comes)? Or, regarding the UK passport, all 4 years will have been for nothing in this regard? What can you teach me please as I don't know where to get this answer?

What proof do I usually need when applying for citizenship / passport? Should I rent a room in the UK but leave it empty and go to Ireland? Would do any good?

Kind regards,
Nick

[CR001]

No you cannot if you relocate to the Republic of Ireland, it is a different country. Only Northern Ireland is part of the UK.

Citizenship requires residence, has an absence limit and you require PR before you can apply for British Citizenship.

[Epsilonn]

Hello and thank you for the reply but how can I be checked for residence in the UK if I am being paid via UK and, let's say I have a property rented in the UK? How does this work?

[CR001]

You need to be LIVING and RESIDING in the UK to qualify for a) PR and b) citizenship. If you are not resident, you won't qualify.

Ireland and the UK share immigration data.

[Epsilonn]

ok, stupid question, and I am sorry but I need to know...

How do I rent a room in the UK and get paid via UK agency but phisically be in Ireland...?

I cross the border to Ireland and show passport and I think I make it into the database. By crossing the border and not coming back to UK is the reason for not being in the UK thus not being able to be taken into consideration in case of applying for residency?

I need to clarify this as it is news to me. I was just given this opportunity today.... so please understand...

I was hoping to get UK passport in the future as I spent so much time here. BTW, do you think Brexit will affect the power of the UK passport? And, if it will, will it be only regarding EU countries?

[Wanderer]

Also if you are are contracting you will be liable for Irish taxation from day one, personal and corporate, there is no avoiding this, one-man companies cannot use posted worker status and the 183 day concession.

You will need to register in Ireland for a PSC card and with the Revenue Commissioners, just remember these golden rules and you will have no tax worries;

1. Tax is due where the work is done.

2. There is NO tax harmonisation within the EU, local taxation regimes apply.

3. Unless you are non-tax resident in UK (usually means 91 days in UK you are resident) you will be subject to dual taxation and need a tax accountant to sort that out for you.

Of course, it will bugger up your UK citizenship, so I'd say 100% don't do it, with that, the residency issues, the tax issues and the fact Ireland especially Dublin is very expensive, accommodation almost impossible to find, the health system is a pure mess (you pay three times as a contractor, PSNI, USC and private because the public health system is swamped with deadbeat spongers, Irish and EU).

I'm half Irish myself, spent a lot of my youth here too, and I can't wait to get back to UK....

[Epsilonn]

What about if I have a UK Ltd. and I work in Ireland as a contractor?

Normally I would pay around 20% in taxes. I would pay those taxes to UK (as my Ltd. would be created in The UK) or how would this work?

[Wanderer]

What about if I have a UK Ltd. and I work in Ireland as a contractor?

Normally I would pay around 20% in taxes. I would pay those taxes to UK (as my Ltd. would be created in The UK) or how would this work?

As I said above, one-man PSC's like contractors use are subject to local tax from tax one, so you personally and your limited will pay Irish income tax and corporation tax, with any balance going to the UK, for example Irish CT is 13% or so, UK 20% so you'd pay 13% to Irish government and 7% to UK government.

You really don't won't to go down that route as you'd need a tax accountant as well familiar with both UK and Irish taxation and they don't come cheap.

The accepted way to do it here is via Director Umbrella, as the concept of company dividends doesn't exist here, and taxation is higher via the limited route for a one-man company.

I wouldn't do it in your situation, especially given that Ireland is so expensive, accommodation hard to find and you'd become legal resident in Ireland, plus it's an accounting nightmare for a small company, and the dual tax-residence and tax implications would be a real headache.