Pain
HMRC writes. You're three days from port.
Solution
Over 40 years in business
£275including VAT per tax return
Leave is for home. Not for HMRC.
Paid gross, living out of a holdall, and still expected to file a UK tax return. Seatax claims Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction where you qualify and deals with the Revenue so you can stay at sea.
Since 1979Working with HMRC on seafarer tax
£275 inc VATPer Self Assessment return
SED specialists100% deduction where you qualify
DoncasterServing seafarers UK-wide
The mess, then the fix
Pain points we hear every week. Solutions we actually file.
The pain
Brown envelopes, rumours, and a return due while you are still on articles.
The solution
We act as your agent, check SED properly, and file so you can get back on watch.
Pain
Paid gross, so it's tax-free… right?
Solution
Gross pay still needs a Self Assessment return. SED can wipe the tax if you qualify. We file it.
Pain
Your messmate counted the days. That's the whole rule.
Solution
Rumours are expensive. We apply the half-day rule, the foreign-port test and current HMRC practice.
Pain
Yacht crew: live nowhere, pay nowhere.
Solution
UK residents are taxed on worldwide income. We bring yacht personnel back into the system cleanly.
Pain
You got a refund, so HMRC agreed the claim.
Solution
A refund is not an enquiry closed. We prepare claims that still stand if they look again.
Pain
North Sea, 12 miles, dry dock… is it even a ship?
Solution
Schedule 27 is a trap. We check the vessel before you claim.
Who we help
Same rules. Different ships. Different mess.
Merchant seafarers
Gross pay, foreign owners, and a UK return you still have to file. We take HMRC off your leave.
Yacht and superyacht crew
Double-tax traps and “I live on the boat” myths. We bring you back into the UK system cleanly.
SED and the 12-mile line
Is it a ship? Were you outside at midnight? We check before you claim, not after HMRC does.
How it works
You send the kit. We fight the forms.
1
Register and send your details
Download the pack, sign both copies, and send sea service, pay details and identity documents.
2
We check SED eligibility
Ship or installation, qualifying period, half-day rule, foreign port. We say if the claim stands.
3
We file with HMRC
We complete the return, claim SED where you qualify, and remain your agent while you are enrolled.
Do you qualify?
Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction
- You worked on a ship (not an offshore installation).
- You worked outside the UK for a qualifying period, usually 365 days.
- You are resident in the UK (or resident for tax purposes in an EEA state other than the UK).
- You have at least one voyage that begins or ends at a foreign port in the qualifying period.
- No single UK visit lasts more than 183 consecutive days, and you meet the half-day rule.
Why Seatax
Hassle-free premium service at competitive rates
- Specialist tax services for merchant seamen and seafarers.
- Knowledge and experience in this field second to none.
- A hassle-free premium service at competitive rates.
On enrolment you authorise us to act with HMRC. We complete your Self Assessment forms and, if a return we submitted is selected for investigation during your enrolment, we deal with it.
For new clients we can, if required, check back up to four complete income tax years. Don’t forget to sign both copies of the pack.
Records you will need to keep
HMRC may want to check your claim, so keep:
- A computation of your dates and working sheet HS205
- Air tickets or other travel vouchers
- Hotel bills or other receipts
- Passports and visas
- Seafarer’s discharge book, discharge certificates, or a letter from the Captain or the company
- For North Sea duties, the midnight position sheet showing whether the ship is in or outside 12 NM at midnight
HMRC may contact your employer to confirm details of your ship’s voyage and crew.
Guides
Questions Google and crew actually ask
HS205, NT codes, the 12-mile limit, student loans, cruise and yacht tax — see all guides.
Locations
Seafarer tax advice across the UK
Our office is in Doncaster. We act for seafarers wherever they live.
Doncaster
South Yorkshire
London
Greater London
Manchester
Greater Manchester
Liverpool
Merseyside
Newcastle
Tyne and Wear
Immingham
Lincolnshire
Felixstowe
Suffolk
Southampton
Hampshire
Bristol
South West England
Milford Haven
Pembrokeshire
Hull
East Yorkshire
Aberdeen
North East Scotland
Glasgow
Scotland
Plymouth
Devon
Portsmouth
Hampshire
Cardiff
South Wales
Belfast
Northern Ireland
Edinburgh
Scotland
Grimsby
Lincolnshire
Dover
Kent
Harwich
Essex
Middlesbrough
Teesside
FAQs
Common questions
How much does Seatax charge?
Our fees are £275 including VAT per Self Assessment tax return. Additional years can be brought up to date at the same rate. Involved cases may attract extra charges, which we will explain before we proceed.
How do I get started?
Download the information and sign-up pack, sign both copies, and return them with your sea service and pay details. You can also call 01302 364673 or use the contact form and we will deal with your enquiry within 24 hours.
Where do I get a sign-up form?
The PDF pack is on this website. If you cannot download it, telephone us and we will send one through.
Do seafarers have to pay tax in the UK?
UK resident seafarers are taxable on worldwide income, even if they are paid gross or by a foreign company. If you qualify for Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction you may pay no UK income tax on eligible seafarer earnings, but you still need to file a Self Assessment return.
What is Seafarers’ Earnings Deduction?
SED is UK tax relief that can give a 100% deduction against eligible employment income for seafarers who work on a ship, are UK resident, and meet the qualifying period (usually 365 days with the half-day rule and a foreign-port voyage).
Do yacht crew and superyacht staff need a tax return?
Yes, if you are UK resident and paid gross. Yacht captains, officers, deckhands and interior crew can still be caught by UK tax and by double tax agreements. We specialise in bringing yacht personnel back into the UK system cleanly.
Can I claim SED if I work in the North Sea or on an offshore installation?
Offshore installations used in oil and gas are not ships for SED. Fixed and floating production platforms, FPSOs, FSUs and MODUs generally do not qualify. If you work in the North Sea on a qualifying ship you must keep midnight position sheets showing whether the vessel is inside or outside 12 nautical miles.
What records should I keep?
Keep a computation of dates, air tickets, hotel bills, passports and visas, your discharge book or a letter from the Captain or company, and for North Sea duties the midnight position sheet. HMRC may contact your employer to confirm voyages.
Download our information and sign-up pack
Our fees start from £275 including VAT. Sign both copies and return them so we can enrol you with HMRC.
Download PDFEnrol with Seatax
Stop doing tax on your leave.
Fees from £275 including VAT per tax return. Download the pack, or call us. We will deal with your enquiry within 24 hours.