UK reporting funds

If you invest in funds classed as UK reporting funds, you must declare certain income from these on your tax return each year.

If you are not sure if this affects you or what you need to do, then check with an independent tax adviser.

What are UK reporting funds?

UK reporting funds are based offshore but provide investors with tax treatment that is similar to UK funds.

Because these funds are based offshore, you must declare certain income from these funds on your tax return each year. 

This is called Excess Reportable Income, which is the value an offshore fund earns past the point of income they distribute as dividends or interest.

How does it affect me?

If you invest in UK reporting funds you must declare certain income from these on your tax return each year.

  • How will I know whether I have invested in a UK reporting fund?
    Check if any of the funds you invest in are on the HMRC list of all UK Reporting Funds

  • How can I check for Excess Reportable Income (ERI) in these funds?
    Details of this Excess Reportable Income will be available on each fund manager’s website.

  • What if I hold reporting funds in my ISA or SIPP?
    There is no need to declare excess income on your tax return if you invest in the funds in your ISA or SIPP.

What do I need to do to complete my tax return?

  1. Check if any funds you invest in are UK reporting funds.
  2. Check if they have any Excess Reportable Income (ERI).
  3. Calculate the ERI.
  4. Include the amount calculated on your tax return.

Frequently asked questions

  • Most fund managers give details of how to calculate the figure on their website.

    As a simple guide the calculation will be: (number of shares or units held) x (excess reportable income given) = figure to declare on your tax return.

    You will need to use the Excess Reportable Income figure for the reporting period you held the fund and may need to make an adjustment if you made a new investment in this period. 

    You should check with the fund manager if you are unsure.

  • If you are invested in a UK reporting fund, on the last day of that reporting fund’s reporting period the excess reportable income figure shown on the next report they publish will be what you need to use. This is usually 6 months later.

    For example, a fund has a reporting period which ends on 31 December 2018. If you held that fund on 31 December 2018 the next report published by them in June 2019 would be relevant to you. This report date is a called the Fund Distribution Date and affects when you should include the figure in your tax return.

  • You need to include the Excess Reportable Income figure in your tax return for the period where the Fund Distribution Date falls.

    For example, if you calculate that you have excess reported income to include in your tax return based on the information in a report provided by the fund dated 30 June 2018 then you would include this in your tax return for the tax year ending 5 April 2019.

  • We don’t show the Excess Reportable Income on your Consolidated Tax Certificate (CTC) – we only show any income you have received directly.

    The Fund Distribution date will be used to determine the tax year the income relates to (six months after the reporting fund period end date).

    If you complete a tax return under self-assessment you must report this income on your tax return. 

    Find out how the income will be reported in the HMRC Tax Return Guide.

    If you do not complete a self-assessment return, dependant on your own personal circumstances you may need to register for self-assessment and report this income.