Husband wants to move to dubai

[Dilemma87]

My husband is a businessman in property and with the recent proposed tax changes and new rules putting limits on how long he can keep doing things from the UK, he’s now saying he needs to move to Dubai and operate from there.

We actually have some friends there, and his business partner is already based out there, so on paper it all sounds easy enough. His plan is to buy a second property in Dubai and move there by himself, while I stay here with the kids.

The problem is, the children are really settled one’s in high school and the other is due to start soon, so moving them just isn’t an option. He’s suggested that we (me and the kids) fly out to Dubai every school holiday to spend time with him.

The catch is, under his visa he can only be out of Dubai for 90 days a year, so he’d basically have to live there full-time.

AIBU to think this is just not going to work long-term? I can’t help but feel like this is the start of living completely separate lives.

This boils down to he’d rather not see his wife or children than pay his share of taxes.

how does that make you feel op?

And he wants to preserve that, no wonder he's leaving the UK

I doubt you’ve lived in North Korea, Somalia or Afghanistan but I bet you think you wouldn’t want to live there.

Dubai has a great marketing department but the real stories leak out anyway. ‘Democracy’ really is the minimum expectation for places I would live in.

My husband’s dad moved abroad to avoid paying tax about 20 years ago. His relationship with his wife broke down about two years later and he still barely sees any of his three sons or his grandchildren. We all think he is a selfish penny pincher. What did he gain? Maybe a few quid but definitely nothing worth losing his family over.

Off course that’s not doable . You will have complete separate life’s and I bet in a years time he will have a second family in Dubai . So you even have a choice in this or is he assuming it’s ok to do ?

And you think abuse against women doesn’t happen everywhere? You’re either bored and looking for a bite back or you’re highly misinformed. Either way, I truly feel for you 😬

Bullshit. If the OPs husband stops paying taxes but keeps his family here not paying any but using services like schools he is a major part of the problem.
OP DH was offered ridiculous sums to work in the ME a few years ago but would never have left the kids and me. We all had a vote and 3 out of 5 of us wanted to stay so we did. I could face the awfulness of a society basically still using indentured labour so openly.

Of course people can move for opportunity. They shouldn’t do it just to avoid tax though, especially if they are leaving a family here to use the things taxes pay for.
Angry? Definitely n
Envious? Of what? Someone being selfish and abandoning their family? Nope.
Makes me laugh when people I disagree with say I’m only doing it out of envy.

My husband is a businessman in property and with the recent proposed tax changes and new rules putting limits on how long he can keep doing things from the UK, he’s now saying he needs to move to Dubai and operate from there.

Can you explain what these "new rules putting limits on how long he can keep doing things from the UK" are? That seems like much more of a driving factor than the tax changes. Is he doing something now that is no longer going to be legal, or does he himself lack legal status in the country (e.g., UK citizenship or ILTR)? I don't see how Dubai can be the ONLY place he can go; even if he's a UAE citizen someone running a successful (and legal) business typically has multiple options. If he genuinely can't operate from within the UK long term, should the two of you not be having a discussion about options of where to go as a family and/or where to relocate the business?

No, they don’t force anyone to come to their country and work for free. People go there on worker visas. It’s easy to repeat soundbites, but it helps to have facts.

Do you trust him not to get another girl / cheat while he is there alone most of the time? Many Instagram models are moving to Dubai - could that be another reason he is fine going alone while the wife and kids stay in the UK

Is money really so important he'd forgo seeing his family for the majority of the year?

That’s glossing over things a bit. Tax is the way a booming economy normally pays for stuff.

100% this

Oil and absolutely terrible workers rights.

🤣
Exactly

Do not move your children to Dubai unless your marriage is rock solid - if you split up you will not be able to bring the children back without his permission.

With respect, you sound very naive. Do you think, people like to stay in a declining shit hole and give away their money for free so those not wanting to work can live a life of largesse.

Lol.

Has he actually had tax advice on it? Uk residential property income and gains are still taxable even if non resident. If it’s owned through a uk Ltd company it any profit would still be subject to corporation tax.
He may also not be non-resident if he has family in the uk as you are a tie to the uk.

Why would you have hated it? All the teens that moved there in my direct experience fucking loved it. Year round sun, beaches, pools, state of the art schools and facilities that put British schools to shame, small class sizes… oh yes the kids hated it - they often complained that they found the Olympic sized swimming pool too big…

He just wants to check out of family life.

Easy to ignore the relaxation of the conditions people actually end up working under... no access to their own passports, working for multiple districts under appalling conditions, people dying from overworking, physical abuse.

And how does that wealth get from the people who grow it to the state? The usual route is tax.

What do you think about kafala and forced marriage?

I'd really question a man who would rather live half way across the globe, in a place kept afloat by indentured servants, to avoid tax and leaving his family behind.

Its so far removed from anything I know about , but in your shoes I would NOT be moving out there. He can do his 90 days annually in the UK. You can visit him maybe. See what happens.