It’s not just billionaires fleeing Britain—fed up with grey skies, crumbling healthcare and the tax bill, a record 69,300 workers have left the U.K.

It’s not just Britain’s billionaires voting with their feet and taking $160 billion with them to the likes of Switzerland and Monaco.

Nearly 70,000 workers decided to leave the U.K. last year—a record.

But it’s not just to save money on tax.

Around 69,300 taxpayers filed P85 forms, the paperwork used to tell HMRC you’re leaving the U.K. permanently, in the 2025/26 tax year .

That’s up 32% from 52,000 the year before, according to analysis of HMRC data by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, as reported by The Telegraph .

The true number is likely higher, since many people who leave don’t file one.

It’s no secret that there’s been a wave of wealthy residents quitting Britain, with the biggest TK occurring after the Conservative government announced the end of the non-dom regime in March 2024, months before handing over the reins to the Labour party.

Higher Stamp Duty on rental properties, VAT on private school fees and rises in Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax and employers’ National Insurance contributions have also added to the squeeze on households’ finances.

But not everyone is packing up over the tax bill.

Natasha Stanley, head of coaching at the careers site Careershifters, has helped thousands of people change careers and start fresh for well over a decade—and she says she can’t think of a single client who has left for tax reasons.

“For tax purposes specifically, I can’t think of anyone,” she told Fortune .

Saving money gets most of the blame for the exodus—career coach says it’s actually sunshine and lifestyle So if it isn’t tax pulling people abroad, what is it? According to Stanley, it’s the life on offer.

“Lots of people are moving for lifestyle purposes and more sunshine,” Stanley said.

Some move to be with partners from other countries.