Why Wealthy Non-Doms Are Selling Their London Mansions to Arabs
22nd December 2025
“Bargain-hunting” Arab, American and Chinese multimillionaires are snapping up the London homes being sold by departing UK non-doms — and they intend to use them as “holiday mansions” for only a few weeks a year.
An analysis of official sales data for homes sold for £15 million or more in 2025 shows how London’s high-end demographics are changing thanks to the chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to abolish the previously lucrative non-dom status in April.
Non-dom status allowed wealthy UK residents to designate a permanent home — or domicile — for tax purposes as being overseas, which meant they avoided paying tax on overseas income and were only taxed on money earned in Britain. About 68,000 people benefited from the arrangement, but as many as 1,800 have left the country since it ended.
Blast from the past: Listen to the Beatles song THE TAXMAN to get an appreciation of Britain under Labour before Thatcher. Both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones left Britain rather than give up 95% of their income to the government.