Executive Read
The UK is no longer an old non-dom remittance-basis planning question for new arrivals. From 6 April 2025, the relevant search intent is usually the 4-year foreign income and gains regime for qualifying new residents, plus the ordinary UK tax rules outside that relief.
For crypto holders, the key is to prove eligibility, identify which gains and income are foreign and within the period, separate UK-source or disqualified items, and build the records before selling assets, remitting funds, or asking a bank to receive proceeds.
- The FIG regime is a 4-year residence-based window for qualifying new residents after at least 10 consecutive tax years of non-UK residence.
- The file should separate foreign gains, foreign income, UK-source income, employment income, trusts, companies, and pre-arrival gains.
- Banking and source-of-wealth review still matter even when tax relief may be available.
FIG Is Not the Old Non-Dom Story
Many search results and advisor conversations still carry old non-dom vocabulary. That is dangerous for a current UK move. The remittance basis was replaced from 6 April 2025 by a 4-year foreign income and gains regime for qualifying new residents. The planning question is therefore not just whether the client is non-domiciled, but whether the client qualifies for the new residence-based relief and which income or gains are eligible.
A UK crypto file should start with the statutory residence timeline. The client needs to show the 10-year non-UK residence history, the first 4 UK tax years, any temporary non-residence periods, and the planned timing of disposals or income.
- Ten consecutive tax years of non-UK residence before the UK residence period.
- The first 4 UK tax years and whether relief is still available.
- Which claims will be made and for which income or gains.
- What happens to pre-6 April 2025 items, UK-source income, and employment income.
Build a Crypto Gains File Before the Move
Crypto creates timing and source problems. A token gain may have accrued over many years, across wallets, exchanges, entities, bridges, and protocols. A UK reviewer may need to know when assets were acquired, who owned them, where activity was managed, and whether the relevant gain is foreign, UK-source, personal, corporate, or business-like.
The file should connect tax analysis with source-of-wealth evidence. A tax claim may be technically available, but a receiving bank still needs to understand why the funds are legitimate and why the liquidity event makes sense.
- Acquisition dates, cost basis, wallet ownership, exchange records, and token-event evidence.
- Whether gains are personal, company, trust, foundation, fund, or treasury assets.
- Which proceeds may be remitted to the UK and under what claim or ordinary rule.
- Advisor notes on foreign-source character, disqualified income, and reporting.
Do Not Mix Income Types
A founder's UK file may include portfolio gains, foreign dividends, consulting income, employment income, company profits, trust distributions, and carried interest-like economics. These should not be presented as one crypto bucket.
The memo should state what is being claimed under FIG, what is outside the regime, what needs separate relief, and what should be taxed or reported under ordinary rules. That prevents a bank, accountant, or tax counsel from discovering hidden complexity after the relocation has momentum.
- Foreign capital gains on personal assets.
- Foreign dividends, interest, property income, and pension income.
- Foreign employment income and Overseas Workday Relief questions.
- UK-source income, company profits, trust items, and transfer-of-assets issues.
The UK Banking Route Still Needs Source of Wealth
Tax relief does not replace bank review. A UK bank or private bank may still ask where the crypto wealth came from, which exchange or OTC desk was used, who controlled the wallets, whether tax advice exists, and why funds are entering the UK now.
The cleanest UK file pairs the FIG memo with a source-of-wealth file and a transaction route. The bank sees the person, the tax position, the asset history, the conversion path, and the intended use of proceeds as one coherent story.
- UK residence timeline and FIG eligibility memo.
- Wallet, exchange, entity, and beneficial-owner register.
- Expected conversion route, receiving account, and use of proceeds.
- Tax advisor, banking contact, and source-of-wealth evidence index.
Questions Clients Ask
Can crypto gains qualify for the UK FIG regime?
Potentially, if the person is a qualifying new resident and the gains are eligible foreign gains within the relevant period. The facts, source, timing, ownership, and claim mechanics need qualified UK tax review.
Did the UK non-dom remittance basis end?
Yes. From 6 April 2025 the remittance basis was replaced for new-resident planning by the foreign income and gains regime and related rules.
Should a crypto holder sell before moving to the UK?
Do not decide from a headline. The answer depends on residence timing, asset source, pre-arrival gains, old-country tax, banking route, and whether FIG relief or ordinary UK rules apply.
Sources Checked
These official references informed the jurisdiction notes. They are not a substitute for current advice on a specific file.