Wealth management in the United Kingdom

“Alexis, I'm moving to London in September. I've been told about non-dom status for my French income. Does it still hold?”

No. “Non-domiciled” status, which made it possible not to be taxed in the United Kingdom on foreign income left outside the country, was abolished on 6 April 2025. It has been replaced by a shorter, simpler regime reserved for new arrivals.

The United Kingdom has 141,242 French nationals on the consular register as of 31 December 2025, an almost stable figure (−0.2% over one year). It is the third-largest French community abroad.

Two treaties apply: the one of 19 June 2008 for income tax, and the one of 21 June 1963 for estates. At Balmont Conseil, we read them alongside the 2025 UK rules, because most of the advice still in circulation dates from the old regime.

1. Why seek expert wealth management in the United Kingdom?

Four points decide your situation, and three of them changed in 2025.

The four-year regime. A new arrival who has not been a UK tax resident in the previous ten years can request, for their first four years, to be exempt from UK taxation on their foreign-sourced income and capital gains. After that, everything is taxable in the UK.
British inheritance tax. Since 6 April 2025, it no longer depends on “domicile” but on residence: a person resident in the United Kingdom for at least ten of the last twenty years is taxed there on their worldwide assets.
Your French assurance-vie contracts. The UK treats them as foreign contracts: their gains are subject to British income tax upon redemption, and not as in France.
Your French-source income. Rents from a property in France remain taxable in France; the United Kingdom also taxes them and grants a tax credit, under the 2008 treaty.

2. The France ↔ United Kingdom framework in five verified points

Here is the applicable framework, checked against official sources as at 1st October 2026.

French nationals on the register	141,242 as of 31 December 2025 (−0.2% over one year), third-largest French community abroad.
Income tax treaty	Yes — treaty of 19 June 2008, in force since 2009. It allocates taxing rights and eliminates double taxation through a tax credit.
Estate tax treaty	Yes — treaty of 21 June 1963. It covers estates only: gifts are not covered and fall under each state's domestic law.
Exit tax — deferral of payment	Automatic deferral of payment, maintained for departures taking place in 2026 (notes to return 2074-ETD 2026), the United Kingdom having concluded the required assistance agreements with France.
CSG and CRDS on property income and capital gains	7.5% for a person affiliated to the UK social security scheme: they pay only the solidarity levy, the CSG and CRDS exemption having been kept for the United Kingdom after it left the European Union.

Sources: list of tax treaties concluded by France (BOI-ANNX-000306, updated 29 April 2026); exchange-of-information and recovery-assistance clauses (BOI-ANNX-000508, position at 8 October 2025); register of French nationals living outside France at 31 December 2025 (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs); text of the treaty published by impots.gouv.fr; impots.gouv.fr for non-residents' social charges. Position as at 1st October 2026.

The four-year regime, in practice. It is claimed in the UK tax return, year by year. During these four years, foreign income and gains can even be brought into the UK without being taxed there. It is a window: whatever needs to be sold or reorganised outside the UK is best done during these four years.

On inheritance. The 1963 treaty allocates taxing rights between the two states and avoids double taxation. It does not deal with gifts: a gift made from London to a child domiciled in France remains subject to Article 750 ter of the French Tax Code.

On exit tax. The deferral is automatic, but the declaration remains compulsory: in the year of departure, then every year as long as the deferral runs.

3. Our services: 360° support for expatriates and investors

Three workstreams, in the order in which they are decided.

Timing of the departure and of the four years

We date your arrival under UK law and your departure under French law, then place in the four-year window the transactions that benefit from it: sales, reallocations, reorganisation of your investments.

The exit tax timetable is handled at the same time: €800,000 threshold or a holding of at least 50% in a company (Article 167 bis of the French Tax Code).

French tax departure date and British arrival date.
Transactions to be made within the first four years.
Exit tax return and monitoring of the deferral.

Your French contracts as seen from London

Assurance-vie, PER, PEA: each French investment vehicle is treated differently once you move to the UK. We examine what you can keep, what you can stop, and what you can redeem before leaving.

A Luxembourg assurance-vie contract can be adapted to UK taxation; it needs to be examined case by case, with a local adviser.

Estate transfer between two countries

We establish where your estate would be taxed under the 1963 treaty, and how long it will take you to become a “long-term resident” in the UK sense. Gifts, which fall outside the treaty, are prepared separately.

4. Methodology: our way of working

We work in four stages, and at each stage you know where you stand.

The initial review. We establish your actual situation: the make-up of your wealth, the project timeline, the situation of each member of the household, and the tax domicile of your heirs — because it is theirs that counts, not yours.
The applicable framework. We set out, source by source and with its date, the framework that applies to you. What we do not know, we mark “to be confirmed” — never anything else.
The choices. We present the options with figures and their respective consequences, and you decide. Wealth structuring comes after the decision, not before.
Ongoing monitoring. An annual review, free of charge, to check that the framework has not moved — treaties are amended, incentive regimes are abolished, thresholds change.

5. What the firm offers you

What concretely sets our work apart.

Sources, not claims. Every item in your file carries its reference and its date. You can check. It is the only way to work on a subject where most of the information available online is out of date.
A single point of contact in France. We coordinate your local advisers; we do not replace them: the host country's domestic tax rules are handled with a qualified professional on the ground. Our role is to keep the whole picture consistent and to defend the French side of the file.
Fees that are easy to understand. Fees disclosed before any commitment: fixed-price reviews, tailor-made engagements at €500 incl. VAT per hour, insurers' commissions on contracts taken out. The annual review is free of charge.

Frequently asked questions — United Kingdom

Does non-dom status still exist?

No: it was abolished on 6 April 2025. It has been replaced by a four-year regime reserved for people who have not been UK tax resident in the previous ten years: for four years, their foreign income and gains are not taxed in the UK, on request.

Will I pay social charges on my French income?

On your French-source property income and real estate capital gains, if you are affiliated to the UK social security scheme: only the 7.5% solidarity levy. The CSG and CRDS exemption was kept for the United Kingdom after Brexit.

Is my French assurance-vie policy worthwhile in the UK?

It remains valid and can be passed on, but the United Kingdom does not recognise its advantages: gains are subject to UK income tax on surrender. The French €4,600 allowance after eight years no longer applies to you. We look, contract by contract, at whether it is better to surrender before departure.

Will my estate be taxed twice?

The treaty of 21 June 1963 allocates the right to tax the estate between the two states and avoids double taxation. It does not cover gifts, which fall under each state's domestic law — in France, Article 750 ter of the French Tax Code.

Does the exit tax apply if I go to London?

If your securities exceed €800,000 or if you hold at least 50% of a company's profits, then yes (Article 167 bis of the French General Tax Code). Payment is automatically suspended for departures in 2026, with no guarantee required, but filing a tax return is mandatory.

In summary

The United Kingdom no longer offers non-dom status, but a four-year regime for new arrivals, and inheritance tax based on length of residence.

Everything hinges on timing: what is done before departure, what takes place in the first four years, and what is prepared before becoming a long-term resident.

Firm's fees: €500 incl. VAT per hour. Annual follow-up is free of charge.