Lee McIntyre-Hamilton: “The UK is a great place to do business, work and live”
Global mobility and international employment tax expert, Lee McIntyre-Hamilton, shares his personal experiences on the UK technology sector, and why it is a good time to join it.
With an all-time high of $15 billion in venture capital investing in UK technology companies, the technology sector now plays a critical role in the post-pandemic recovery. After all, this is a sector that has grown its gross value-added contribution to the UK economy by an average of 7% per year over the last five years. Since the UK tech sector is rapidly growing and providing opportunities for highly skilled professionals, many global IT professionals are considering a transition into the UK technology space.
However, for most overseas technologists, understanding and mastering the technology is one thing but managing tax, and mobility aspects are quite another. This is where Lee McIntyre-Hamilton comes in. Lee has over 23 years of experience in international mobility, expatriate tax and employment tax. He works with a diverse range of international organisations, from small owner-managed businesses to large multi-national corporations and non-profit organisations. Lee delivers coordinated, joined-up global mobility tax, international social security and payroll advice across many territories globally. He is a published writer on international tax matters, notably the Tiley & Collinson UK Tax Guide.
In an extensive interview, Mr Lee opens up about his personal opinions on the UK’s technology sector, the benefits of coming to the UK to work and develop a career, suggestions for aspiring candidates, and more.
When asked about the UK’s global position in the technology sector, he said, “As a country, we have shown that we have the right mix of essential social, economic, political and cultural ingredients to be a leading global player in the sector. Given the remarkable rate of growth in the UK technology sector (it has grown tenfold in the last ten years), this is set to continue long into the future and, once again, is transforming our world. The county is already a veritable global powerhouse when it comes to technological growth and development.”
Mentioning the recent reports, he added that, “the venture capital investment in the tech sector exceeded $15 billion in 2020 (3rd highest ranking for investment in the world) in the UK. Tech Nation found that the UK currently leads Europe for the number of net-zero companies. In addition to climate change, the UK is leading the way in technology solutions that tackle some of the greatest social challenges facing us. I have come across many examples of this in my work across the INGO, life sciences and health technology sectors like organisations delivering technology-driven education to deprived communities, developing ground-breaking diagnostic tools to identify diseases at an early stage, etc. Of course, to sustain the UK’s leading position in the technological sector, we need to attract the world’s most capable talent across all areas.”
Moving on to the topic of benefits of joining the UK Tech Sector, Technologist Confidant, asked him for his views. According to Lee, the UK is clearly one of the top industries to be in right now. It has a phenomenal growth rate, and there are numerous options for anyone who wants to develop their career in technology. Whether someone is starting their journey or is a seasoned professional, the UK is replete with new and exciting roles in this space.
In addition to that, he said, “Coming to the UK to work in technology offers great potential for personal development, the acquisition of transferable skills and working across industries. Remuneration is also an attraction. Salary levels across the sector, averaging around £53,000 per annum, are significantly above the average cross-industry UK salary levels and are competitive globally. Also, inflation has been low in the UK for many years (below 3%), so your money goes further.”
Lee went on to say that some of the UK’s fastest-growing cities in the technology space were outside of the South-East of England and are typically much less expensive when it comes to the cost of living. These towns include Bristol, Manchester and Lee’s hometown of Newcastle, which has made a successful transition from the heavy industry of yesterday to the technology-driven businesses of tomorrow.
On an ending note, to the question, he mentioned that he may be a little biased while answering it, but the UK is a great place to live. From ancient Roman ruins like Hadrian’s wall and medieval castles through to the Cavern Club where the Beatles played their first concerts, the UK has an abundance of history and culture to explore.
As an industry leader in the field of global mobility and international employment tax, we asked Lee if he wanted to give any message to the global technology audience; to put it in simple words, he said, “Keep coming to the UK! For the reasons outlined above, the UK is a great place to pursue your ambitions in the technology sector. No matter what stage in your career you may be at, it is a great place to work for employers and entrepreneurs setting up a business.”
Last but not least, Technologist Confidant, asked him if he had anything to say for people aspiring to come to the UK for a career in the tech industry. He said that there is a simple but often overlooked suggestion to speak to as many people as possible who can provide their relevant insights. He suggested building a complete picture of what to do and why; this will differ depending on individuals, what they want to achieve and their plans. One would be able to understand their chosen career better by speaking with people across the industry, people who have already relocated to the UK, specialist advisors, recruitment agencies, friends and colleagues in the UK. Relocating from one country to another is a big deal, and so they need to make sure it is right for them before they set off. Other than that, if they think it is the right thing for them, then they should go for it.
As for the concluding remarks, Lee acknowledged that attracting global talent to the UK is essential for sustainable growth across the technology sector. With an international vision, approach and focus to guide and help people explore technology careers in the UK, he hailed Gayatri Panda’s effort to launch a magazine with a unique concept.
More about Lee Mclntyre-Hamilton: Lee’s expertise covers the employer and employee tax, social security and payroll implications of cross-border moves. This includes employer and employee tax compliance, international share schemes tax, tax on pensions for mobile employees, the taxation of cross-border termination payments and operating tax equalisation arrangements.
Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-mcintyre-hamilton-5066a217
