US-UK Tax Accountants for Executives
A transatlantic move turns one tax return into two — with equity, deferred comp and pensions straddling both. We prepare your US and UK taxes together so your package is taxed once, correctly.
Executive pay is built for one country. Move between two and every component needs re-sourcing
Senior executives who relocate between the US and UK — or who hold US citizenship and now work in London — face a return that no single-country accountant is equipped to prepare. RSUs and options vest across the move and are sourced to both countries. Deferred compensation and pensions are taxed on different timelines. Base salary runs through dual payroll.
On top of that, US citizens file with the IRS for life on worldwide income, with FBAR and FATCA reporting on every foreign account. Employer tax equalisation helps with the core package but rarely covers your personal investments, your accounts, or your spouse’s income.
We prepare the US and the UK returns as one engagement — apportioning equity across workdays, applying the treaty and foreign tax credit, and reconciling the whole picture — so your package is taxed once and filed accurately on both sides.
What we prepare for executives
Cross-border equity (RSUs & options)
Apportionment of each vesting across US and UK workdays, with treaty and foreign tax credit applied so awards are not taxed twice.
Deferred compensation & pensions
US and UK reporting of deferred comp, non-qualified plans and pensions under the treaty, coordinated across the timing mismatch a move creates.
Dual payroll & contributions
PAYE, US wage reporting and Social Security vs National Insurance under the totalisation agreement, so salary is taxed once in the right system.
Tax equalisation support
We prepare the underlying returns behind an employer equalisation policy and check the calculation is working in your favour.
Foreign accounts (FBAR & FATCA)
Complete FBAR and Form 8938 reporting on personal and family accounts, so nothing on the personal side is left exposed.
Catch-up for unfiled years
IRS Streamlined Filing, where you qualify, to bring back years and FBARs current with no penalty.
One team for both tax systems
Both returns, one team
US and UK prepared together, with equity and income reconciled across the two systems.
Equity & comp fluency
RSUs, options, deferred comp and pensions across a move are core work, not an edge case.
Beyond the employer scheme
We cover the personal items tax equalisation leaves out — investments, accounts, spouse income.
Preparation & compliance
Accurate, on-time returns grounded in your actual package — not investment advice.
Questions & Answers
Equity awards that vest while you move between countries are sourced partly to the US and partly to the UK, and both the IRS and HMRC want their share of the same vesting. We prepare both returns, apportion each RSU or option tranche across the workdays in each country, and apply the treaty and foreign tax credit so the award is taxed correctly rather than twice.
Yes, and it is worth it. Tax equalisation protects you against paying more than your home-country tax, but the underlying US and UK returns still have to be prepared accurately, and your personal items — investments, foreign accounts, spouse’s income — usually sit outside the employer scheme. We make sure your full position is filed correctly and that the equalisation calculation is working in your favour.
Yes. US citizens and Green Card holders file a US Form 1040 on worldwide income for life, wherever they live, plus FBAR and FATCA reporting on foreign accounts. Alongside that you will have a UK Self Assessment return. We prepare them together and use the treaty, foreign tax credit and Foreign Earned Income Exclusion to keep you from being taxed twice on the same salary.
Deferred compensation, non-qualified plans and pensions are taxed on different timelines in the US and UK, and the US-UK treaty has specific rules for pensions. Handled in isolation they create mismatches; handled together they can be coordinated. We prepare both returns with these arrangements treated consistently across your move.
Both, as one engagement. That is the point of a cross-border specialist — your US and UK returns are prepared by the same team, with the figures, currencies and dates reconciled between them, so nothing is double-counted and nothing is missed in the gap between two separate advisers.
Yes. Busy executives fall behind more often than you would think, and it is fixable. Where you qualify as non-wilful, the IRS Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures bring a set number of back years and FBARs current with no penalty. We assess eligibility, prepare the package, and sequence it against any UK position.
Still have questions? We're here to help.
›Get in TouchOfficial resources & further reading
Authoritative guidance from the relevant tax authorities and regulators. Always confirm current thresholds and deadlines on the official source.
Reach Out
Ready to discuss your US-UK tax situation? Contact Jungle Tax today to explore how we can help with your cross-border tax compliance and planning needs.