Tax Law · European Union
Establish Where You Are Tax Resident With Confidence
Your tax residency decides which country taxes your worldwide income — and it is rarely as simple as where you happen to live. We match you, free of charge, with a lawyer who determines your residency status under the relevant rules, so you know where you stand and file correctly in the country that actually claims you.
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Who this is for
Residency is the hinge on which your whole tax position turns
Tax residency determines which country has the right to tax your worldwide income, and it is decided not by your passport or your feelings but by a set of legal tests — days spent in a country, where your home and family are, where your vital interests and economic ties lie. The same person can be resident in one country for civil purposes and another for tax purposes, and in some cases two countries may each treat you as their own. This matters for anyone who splits time between countries, works remotely, retires abroad or is considering a move. A tax residency lawyer applies the tests to your facts, determines where you are actually resident, and documents that position — so you are not taxed somewhere you should not be, or caught out somewhere you did not expect.
Why residency causes confusion
Residency is decided by legal tests,
not by where you feel at home.
Two countries can reach different answers, leaving you unsure which one is entitled to tax you.
Two countries both claiming you
When your time, family and assets are split, more than one country may consider you a tax resident — and each may then expect you to report and pay on worldwide income, a position that can only be untangled with evidence and the right arguments.
Failing the day-count or ties tests
Residence often turns on precise thresholds — days present, or the location of your home, family and economic interests. Drifting over a threshold without realising it can make you resident somewhere you never intended.
No documentary proof of your status
A tax authority may ask you to prove you are not resident, or a new country may ask you to prove you are. Without a residency certificate or a documented analysis, you can struggle to establish the very position you rely on.
What you get
A definite answer on where you are taxed
We match you with lawyers who determine and document tax residency as a core part of their practice.
A documented residency analysis
Your lawyer applies the relevant tests to your circumstances and produces a clear, written conclusion on where you are tax resident — the foundation for every filing decision you make.
Residency certificates obtained
Where a country issues proof of residency for treaty or filing purposes, your lawyer identifies the right certificate and obtains it, so you can evidence your status to any authority that asks.
Dual-residency resolved
If two countries each claim you, your lawyer works out which one should win under the applicable rules or treaty and argues that position, preventing you being taxed as resident in both.
Planning around the thresholds
For a coming move or split year, your lawyer advises on timing and structure so you land on the right side of the residency tests — deliberately, rather than by accident.
Coverage
Tax residency lawyers across Europe
Residency rules are set by each country, so the right lawyer is one who practises in the country where your status is in question. We match cases across the following countries and beyond:
Frequently asked
Tax residency — common questions
What determines my tax residency?
Each country applies its own tests, but most look at days spent in the country, the location of your permanent home, where your family lives, and where your vital personal and economic interests are centred. It is a question of fact weighed against legal thresholds, not simply where you are registered or where you feel you belong.
Can I be tax resident in two countries at once?
Yes, it is possible if you satisfy the tests in two countries simultaneously — for example, spending enough days in one while keeping your home and family in another. Most treaties contain tie-breaker rules to assign you to a single country, but you may need to invoke them formally.
Is tax residency the same as my immigration status?
No. A residence permit or visa governs your right to live somewhere, while tax residency governs which country may tax you, and the two are decided by different rules. You can hold a permit in one country yet be tax resident in another, or vice versa.
How do I prove I am (or am not) tax resident somewhere?
Many countries issue a certificate of tax residence for treaty and filing purposes, and you may also evidence your position with records of days present, home, family and ties. When a country disputes your status, a lawyer prepares the analysis and documentation the authority will accept.
What happens if I become tax resident without realising it?
You could acquire filing and payment obligations in a country you did not intend, including on worldwide income, and may face penalties for returns you never knew were due. A lawyer can regularise your position and, where possible, structure your affairs going forward.
Can I change my tax residency by spending time abroad?
Moving abroad is one factor, but it does not automatically end your residency in a country that still holds your home, family and economic ties. Ending residency usually requires both meeting the new country’s tests and breaking the old country’s — a process a lawyer can plan with you.
Free case review
Know exactly which country is entitled to tax you
Tell us where you live, work and keep your ties, and we’ll connect you with a tax residency lawyer who will determine and document your status — free of charge, with no obligation to hire.