The meaning of Brexit may escape us all Following the UK’s momentous decision to leave the EU, pundits and commentators enjoy a feeding frenzy in the media, hanging on every word uttered by the main players. The Prime Minister’s “Brexit means Brexit” statement was supposed to clear the air and unify the government position on […]
Pensions and interest rates
Pensions and interest rates: the good, the bad and the ugly news! The old saying goes, ‘I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?’. Given this choice, a majority prefer to hear the bad news first. The recent reduction in UK interest rates to 0.25% in response to pressures […]
Retiring to the Algarve
Retiring to the Algarve in Portugal can be an attractive proposition for many expats. Along with the obvious lure of the ‘sun and sea’, there is also the added benefit of low taxation for retirees. Tax competitiveness is a well-established way of attracting the people you want to work or live in your country. The […]
Sink or swim: Brexit and expat pensions
Wouldn’t it be great if, amongst all the excitement and hype, British expats had some information that could actually be of use to them regarding the pending EU referendum? There are many retired British expats in Europe; there are also many Brits currently working in the EU. Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of clarity […]
The Netherlands 30 percent ruling
If you are willing to work in the Netherlands and have a specific and scarce expertise, you may end up being rewarded by the Dutch government with a significant tax break in the form of the 30 percent ruling! If you meet the conditions of the Netherlands tax ruling, you and your employer can apply […]
UK pension changes: reasons to be cheerful
Whether you live in France, Spain, Canada, Australia, or some other far-flung region of the world, there are reasons to be cheerful for British expats about changes in the UK pension system. As we start the new UK Tax year, let’s take the opportunity to recap on some of the reforms and see how UK […]
Tips on how to transfer funds abroad
No such thing as a free lunch, or is there? From time to time we all find ourselves having to transfer funds abroad. I myself had to transfer a fairly modest amount recently and decided to check the many specialist currency exchange companies to see if I could better the rate quoted to me from […]
How to protect your investments
With so many funds available, it is important to learn how to protect your investments. However, since the financial crisis, we have seen a new breed of fund launched onto the market. Many, if not all, claim to be the alternative to traditional investments and the answer to volatility, downside risk, and market corrections. On the […]
Forgot to apply for the 30% in the Netherlands?
The30% ruling in the Netherlands is a tax incentive granted to foreign workers possessing specialist skills that come to work in the Netherlands. The maximum duration of the ruling for expatriate employees is 8 years. It is not unusual for expats to be unaware of their eligibility for this tax break. The reason may be as […]
30% ruling benefits for contractors in the Netherlands
Oil & Gas and IT contractors are in prime position to take advantage of the 30% ruling in the Netherlands. Application for the tax break, offered by the Dutch government to expat contractors possessing specialist skills, should be considered as an essential part of financial planning. Partial Non-Resident Status When an expat relocates for work purposes […]
European court to re-assess changes to the 30% rule in the Netherlands
The recent review of the 30% rule in the Netherlands has been contested in the European court of justice during August 2013. The 30% rule stipulates that any incoming employees to the Netherlands must have been living at a distance of no less than 150 km from the Dutch border prior to the commencement of […]
Dutch thirty percent ruling
The thirty percent ruling is a tax incentive offered by the Dutch government to expatriate employees possessing specialist skills/expertise that are either absent or scarce in the local marketplace. The ruling involves tax relief in the form of a thirty percent tax-free allowance on the annual salary. Those expat employees who qualify for the ruling […]
Haircut Sir – threat to pension savings
You couldn’t make it up. ….in Cyprus, they just did! Is anywhere safe from the clutches of the TROIKA? The tripartite committee led by the ECB, the EU, and IMF has set a dangerous precedent in Cyprus by forcing the government to tax those with deposits of over €100,000 in local bank accounts by up […]
British workers not keen on retirement planning
So it’s now official, the Brits don’t save enough…there is nothing new there. However, what is worrying from the latest HSBC research: Future of Retirement: A New Reality is that of the 15,000 people surveyed across 15 countries, almost half have never saved for retirement! The United Nations predicts that one in five of us will […]
Redefining retirement – pension survey findings
Furnish people with the facts, and a more enlightened population will emerge.…….. Information put out in the public domain can often seem like a spider’s web, with bits of it finding and connecting with one other. The challenge is to find the correct pattern and make sense of it all. A recent pension survey […]