There’s a tiny island 100 miles off the coast of Dorset where locals don’t have to pay income tax and CVs “aren’t a thing”. Sark is part of self-governing British Crown Dependency in the English Channel measuring a little over two square miles. One of the Channel Islands, which include Jersey and Guernsey, Sark has gained a great deal of attention on TikTok among Gen Z, drawn in part by clips of its picturesque scenery.
Locals on Sark don’t have to pay income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax or sales tax. Instead the island’s Government is funded via a combination of property tax, personal tax and a smaller contribution from a duty paid on imports of alcohol, certain fuels and tobacco known as Impôt. The island also levies a property transfer tax and smaller taxes on things such as bikes and tractors.
Jade Right, 23, swapped Oxfordshire for the island. Ms Right told MailOnline she originally came to Sark for a three-week holiday, but stayed.
She said it was easy to get a job in hospitality and CVs “aren’t a thing”, adding: “You’ve got people from different backgrounds, but everyone’s really humble. It’s a massive community.”
Ms Right is among several Gen Z Brits who have relocated to the island. Cerys Lockeridge, 24, told the same publication she came to Sark during her university studies and ended up settling there.
Amie Strode, 21, was also drawn to the place, attracted by the freedom of island life.
According to Sark’s government, the island’s climate is similar to Devon and Cornwall’s, adding that it “frequently” sees the greatest number of hours of sunshine for anywhere in the British Isles.
Sark has a population of about 500, but this can double during the tourist season, as holidaymakers and seasonal workers arrive, usually between Easter and October.
Anyone who wants to live on the island has to prove they are either a British citizen or have permission to move the the UK.
The island is governed by an 18-member parliament who are elected by islanders for a four year term. It has owed its allegiance to the Crown since its Fief Haubert was granted in 1565 to Helier De Carteret, a Jersey man who became the first “Seigneur”, or lord of the manor, of Sark.
While neither part of the UK nor the European Union, Sark’s international responsibilities are carried out by the UK Government via the Ministry of Justice.
Tourism is one of the biggest money-spinners, with a number of pubs, restaurants, B&Bs, campsites and hotels on the island.
Islanders use the Guernsey pound, which is linked to sterling, but euros are also accepted, according to Sark’s government.
The easiest way to get to Sark is by ferry. During peak season, there are several daily sailings between the island and Guernsey. The service is reduced during winter.
From the UK, there are sailings from Poole and Portsmouth to Jersey and Guernsey, from where it is possible to catch another boat to Sark.