New tool will help expats discover what they owe the taxman A HMRC spokesman was unable to provide a launch date for the online test, but said it will be available "shortly." Dean Power, assistant tax manager and technical co-ordinator at The Fry Group. said: "The introduction of a statutory definition of residence for UK tax purposes is generally to be welcomed. It has been an area of UK taxation that has needed clarification for many years. However, while a defined set of rules now exists, there remains much complexity within the test that could lead to unexpected results for many. He explained that the web assessment may prove useful as "good indicator of your position," but there are "specific definitions for each part of the test which need to be understood before any questions posed by an online tool can be answered." Mr Power added: "It remains to be seen whether such a tool would produce a definitive result for the individual. It is likely that any result produced by the online system would simply be for guidance only. That is to say that if the Revenue were to fully investigate circumstances at a later date, they are unlikely to be bound by any indication offered by the online tool. The HMRC spokesman noted: "HMRC has published guidance as to how the legislation will be interpreted, but it is only guidance and the answer in any particular case will depend on the facts." Further information is available via the following links: