Thought you guys might need some useful links regarding tax - there seems to be a bit of confusion amongst those in the tread. Firstly, it's worth pointing out that the UK has a pretty low level of taxation compared to many other countries (despite what people here think!)
You have a personal tax allowance which is an amount upto which you pay no tax. This is currently £5035. After that you pay tax in bands of income as follows:
Taxable Bands Taxable Bands Allowances 2005-06 (£) 2006-07 (£)
Starting rate 10% 0 - 2,090 0 - 2,150
Basic rate 22% 2,091 - 32,400 2,151 - 33,300
Higher rate 40% Over 32,400 over 33,300
You can see this following the government site - here is the link for income tax: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/i... />
So you can work out exactly what you will receive after tax. National Insurance (NI) is another deduction that you will need to make. It's about 8% of your gross pay and it covers such things as the State Healthcare which is free for you. The government site for NI is confusing as there are many factors. Here is a link but best to go on 8%
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/n... />
As a guide, if you are earning £20,000 salary you will receive £1500 each month after tax and NI.
Hope that clears a few things up! |
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Introducing myself:
My name is Thomas Palmer. I will be teaching English Literature at Springwood High School in Kings Lynn, Norfolk Co.
I am coming from Dover, NH, USA, as a brand-spankin' newly qualified teacher. In fact, my actual certification to teach over here in the States just came in the mail a week ago. I'll be headed over to the UK in a couple of weeks, with Passport, Work Permit, Visa, and a few bags of luggage in tote.
I will say, my experience with Bluewave, with the UK Consulate, and nearly every aspect of this adventure has been quite smooth (knocking on all available pieces of wood as I type). My biggest challenge is going to be getting my partner over to the UK, with the legal ability to get a job, sometime around the first of the year. That's a hurdle I'm not looking to cross, yet.
My bags are packed, the laptop is charged up, and so am I!
Now, if I don't get bumped from my Virgin Atlantic flight, and make my way across London without too much issue, I'll be just fine.
-Good Luck to all who are moving over for this fall!
-Thomas Palmer |
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Hi Thomas, and welcome to the board, and congrats on your new position. I have a brother in Portsmouth NH -- I was their visiting him recently. Sure have had their share of rain.
Partner -- no idea how that will happen. It's a shame there's isn't a working holiday visa available to Americans -- that would me an easy way to do it. Does he/she qualify for HSMP?? Great program.
Have a good flight, and stay in touch with us! We might want to have a get-together at some point -- the more the merrier! |
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Hi everyone,
Congrats on jobs, I’m still looking and keeping my fingers crossed. But I thought I’d share some info, I lived, worked, and studied in Birmingham, England during college, and as a relatively poor student, here are some things I learned while abroad:
*For travel in England check out your local train station or http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ for passes, such as the Young Person Rail Card, which can save you a lot of money on train tickets. This also goes for bus passes, there are lots of options to save on bus fares.
*As for accommodations while traveling, I love the hostel!! I’ve run into a few dodgy ones, but most are fine and you get to meet a lot of interesting people.
*For food, grocery stores are obviously a cheaper route that eating out all of the time, but fish and chip shops tend to be very reasonable (except at the waistline, but a little is always acceptable! ) and experiment at local cafes. But my biggest hint would be to check your town’s local markets. Many towns have weekly or daily farmer’s markets and the larger cities have great flea markets.
*For extra cash, depending on your school schedule or if you are on a long break, it is super easy to get a bartending job. When I got to England, I walked into a local pub and asked if they were hiring, I spoke with the manager and she said I would be given a trial on a Sunday afternoon and that was it. I had no bartending experience, but I learned on the job. I worked 3 days a week at £3.5 an hour, and it paid for all of my entertainment, going out, and allowed me to travel all over western Europe throughout the year. So if your interested and can work it in, give it a go!
That’s all for now, but if you have any questions let me know. I love talking about one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. Good luck and have a great time! |
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Hi Thomas,
some good news for ya. Domestic partnerships are actually recognised and protected here in the UK! As such, your partner may be able to get a dependants visa that will allow staying as long as you are in the country. Its not as easy as a licensed marriage, but it makes it a bit less of a headache. My partner applied to continue university study here (at American Intercontinental University of London), and was given a visa and a 20hour per week work permit...went through that process BEFORE we knew about the domestic partnership deal here. Live and learn :) P |
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