WTTG3800 - Meaning of 'main place of residence'

Where an individual has two or more “places of residence” in different parts of the UK in a tax year, Welsh taxpayer status will depend on whether a “close connection” with Wales or another part of the UK exists.  Central to that test is establishing an individual’s “main place of residence”.

A “main place of residence” is not necessarily the residence where the individual spends the majority of their time, although it commonly might be.  A “main place of residence” is the “place of residence” with which the individual can be said to have the greatest degree of connection.

Whether a place constitutes a “main place of residence” is a matter of fact and all of the facts and circumstances of the particular case must be considered to arrive at a conclusion.

The following points, although not exhaustive, may be useful in establishing whether a place constitutes a “main place of residence” for a given tax year. 

In using the list it is important to remember that the factors appear in no particular order; that the relevance of points will vary from individual to individual; and that the list does not form a ‘box-counting’ guide to Welsh taxpayer status.

• If the individual is married, in a civil partnership or a long-term relationship, where does the family spend its time?
• If the individual has children, where do they go to school?
• The location of social, non-work activity e.g. club membership and participation, hobbies etc.
• How is each residence furnished?
• Where are the majority of the individual’s possessions kept?
• Where is the individual registered with a doctor, dentist and optician?
• Which address is used for correspondence, for example from banks and building societies, credit cards?
• At which address is the individual’s car registered and insured?
• Which address is the main residence for council tax?
• At which residence is the individual registered to vote?