I moved to Dubai with my family – I pay no income tax but my expenses are £9,300 a month

Byron Cole, 42, said he has has saved himself thousands of pounds in tax after moving his family across the world from Surrey to Dubai. In October 2025, Byron moved to the UAE with his wife, an entrepreneur and businesswoman, and two-year-old son for a better quality of life. The family shipped 138 boxes to their new home with Byron saying he doesn’t see himself moving back to the UK. Shorts Byron, who runs a sports media company, said: “Becoming a father changed my perspective. It made me think much more carefully about where I wanted my son to grow up. “I wanted him to be raised in a safe, ambitious and internationally minded environment with access to opportunities from an early age.” Byron first visited Dubai in 2020 before the pandemic and quickly found himself spending six months of the year there. He soon felt his quality of life was much better in Dubai than the UK. He said: “Every time we came to Dubai, we felt our family had a better lifestyle. There were more business opportunities, a positive entrepreneurial culture, and a real sense that people came here to build things. “Healthcare was another consideration. We had experiences in the UK that left us frustrated, whereas we’ve found the standard and accessibility of healthcare in Dubai to be excellent.” From a financial perspective, moving to Dubai has reduced the amount Byron pays in tax, thanks to the country having no personal income tax or capital gains for residents and expats. He says it has reduced his tax burden significantly and has allowed him to reinvest into his recently launched business – Spotlight Media Group. Businesses in Dubai are subject to a 9 per cent corporate tax when making profits of more than AED 3750,000 – around £76,000. Despite saving “thousands of pounds” as a result of living in a tax haven, Byron’s expenses are much higher in Dubai than the UK. On average in the UK, Byron’s expenses were £5,450 a month whereas in Dubai they come to £9,300 a month. He explained: “We definitely spend more, but largely because our lifestyle has changed. There are services here that become part of everyday life from home help and car cleaning to convenience services that simply weren’t part of our routine in the UK.” Housing costs have also been a lot more for Byron, paying £3,000 more per month. He said: “In the UK, I had a seven-figure family home in Surrey with a swimming pool on a mortgage fixed at around 1.99 per cent, so my monthly payments were relatively low at roughly £2,000. “In Dubai, I’m paying closer to £5,000 a month. However, with UK mortgage rates having increased significantly since then, the difference isn’t as dramatic as it first appears.” The family rents a five-bedroom, six-bathroom family home in Dubai with separate accommodation for maids. Although the UK will have a special place in his heart, Byron said he doesn’t see him and his family moving back to the UK. “Dubai feels like the right place for this stage of my life, both personally and professionally. If I ever left Dubai, it would probably be to experience another part of the world rather than returning to the UK,” he added. If you are considering moving to a country with a different tax jurisdiction, it is important to seek professional financial advice.