Move from North to South - benefit / tax etc

mushrooms

Hello - I have recently moved from the North to the South and am looking for advice on how to transfer things over here and some practical advice on tax and benefits. My situation is complicated enough so I've tried to make it clear below


RESIDENCY – Lived in ROI from August 2011
I got married in July 2011 and moved from the North (parents’ house) to the South of Ireland to my husband’s house after the wedding. It’s just 15 minutes over the border – not that that makes much difference, but just to give you the full picture.

WORK – Self-employed from June 2011
I was born and have always worked in the North of Ireland. My most recent post was a temporary contract in Belfast which came to an end in April 2011. Following this I took on some freelance work in the same area as the opportunity arose.
I finished up a freelance contract in March 2012 and didn’t carry out any further work for 6 months as I was pregnant.
I recently took on some further freelance work which lasted a few months (Sept 12– Nov12) and that has now finished.


I am now actively looking for employment but am not sure where I stand really. My husband is self-employed and has paid income tax to the South for the past 6 years or so. I’m fairly certain we would be considered a low income family.

CHILD - born May 2012
During my pregnancy I used my own doctor in Northern Ireland and had the baby in a hospital in the North. The baby is registered with my doctor in the North now and her birth cert etc was done in the North.
I filled in the UK Child benefit form when it came in the bounty pack in the hospital and have been receiving this benefit since early June 2012. At the time I wasn’t too sure which jurisdiction to put this claim in but thought that as I was known to the North and had been paying tax etc in the North for most of my life that this was probably the way to go.


We will be staying in this house in the South and now that we have decided that for sure, I want to change over all my details. I want to make it clear I’m not merely trying to get a load of benefits and I do realise that I might not be eligible to put in any claim. For info, I have never claimed any benefits (apart from the recent Child benefit) either North or South and neither has my husband. I just want to be aware of anything that might make it easier for us.


So now the questions:

• I need to complete a self-employed tax declaration for the tax year 2011-12 and 2012-13. Should I be declaring tax to the North or the South for these periods?
• Do I need to get a PPS number in order to move my child benefit claim from the North to the South?
• I want to register my child with a doctor in the South and obviously want her to go to a local school here, so I assume I will have to register her existence in the South? How do I do that? My husband moved to the South 7 years ago and isn't registered anywhere.
• I am hoping to get new employment as soon as possible – temping or anything I can get either North or South of the border. If I do need to apply for job-seekers allowance should this be in the South where I have been living, or in the North because to date I have only ever paid Income Tax and National Insurance there?

I’m sure there are a few that have been in a similar situation so I look forward to hearing how you got on with it and advice on what I should be doing. I’m looking through the border people website for more info and hope to make a few calls this week.

Thanks!

mp22

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social_welfare/social_welfare_payments/social_welfare_payments_to_families_and_children/child_benefit.html

The tax question would be better off here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1208

Re: JSA claim must be made where you are living now

mushrooms

Thanks - I shall have a read of those!