Hi everyone, I’d like to ask about the income evidence required for a GTV visa extension or ILR application.
My understanding is that the evidence needs to show that the applicant has earned income in the UK in their relevant field. What I’m unsure about is how this applies in the following two oversea company situations:
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Self-employed / sole trader scenario
If someone is self-employed in the UK and remotely takes on relevant work for a non-UK client, for example an outsourcing project from a US company, and the income from that work is performed in the UK and taxed in the UK, would this income count as “income earned in the UK in the relevant field” for visa purposes?Or does the client necessarily have to be a UK company? In other words, would overseas clients not count, even if the work is carried out in the UK and the income is treated as UK income for tax purposes? -
UK limited company scenario
Suppose someone sets up a one-person UK limited company, uses that UK company to take on overseas client work, and then pays themselves a salary and/or dividends from the company. Would that salary/dividend income count as “income earned in the UK in the relevant field”?
In essence, these two examples describe the same situation: the person is based in the UK and takes on overseas client work. The only difference is the tax structure. In the first case, the individual pays tax directly as a self-employed person; in the second case, the work is carried out through the individual’s own UK limited company, which pays corporation tax and then pays salary/dividends to the individual.
Thank you very much!