Expat for over 15 years with my wonderful two children. A teacher and a writer and in my spare time (which is very little) a surfer. You can usually find me at the beach or in a cafe reading or writing. Currently doing a great deal of research and reading in to expat pension and retirement plans such as QROPS and QNUPS. I would love to hear your comments on any article I write, it really does fuel my passion for journalism :)
Despite the massive tax breaks investors can pick up from the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), the government seems set on keeping the benefits quiet. SEIS slashes the risk of investing in start-ups for private backers by offering income tax and capital gain tax reliefs that far outweigh any the tax inducements on any other [...]
FATCA is damaging US interests and is too unwieldy to deliver the tax results Washington demands claims Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group. Speaking to NewsMax TV, Green explained his forthright opinions on the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). “The people haven’t thought through the consequences of FATCA,” he said. “On the surface, FATCA [...]
Below is what happened in a week in Expats Finances, as reported on iExpats and from other places across the web. From iExpats: Eurozone Braced For New Economic Crisis The looming spectre of deflation is stalking Eurozone economies as prices continue to fall, say economists Meet the Ivanovs – Russia’s Mr and Mrs Average Investors [...]
Expats living in Australia under temporary resident rules have lost their capital gains tax (CGT) discount as part of the country’s tax grabbing budget. Australians living overseas and expats in Australia benefitted from the tax break – but are now treated as foreign residents and lose the relief. Critics say snatching back CGT will affect [...]
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) continue to show they are the rising star of expat pension plans by reaching a new high for the 19th month in a row. As HM Revenue and Customs released the latest QROPS List on May 15, 22013, the key facts are: The number of QROPS pension plans worldwide [...]
Expats living in France face financial confusion as the country’s lawmakers drag their feet over whether to tax them over the rent and pensions they earn in other countries. The issue is over whether an expat’s rental or pension income should be assessed for tax in France – but only if the expat has paid [...]
A boom in the spending on massive infrastructure projects across the Middle East is likely to continue but those running the programmes will face big demands, says a new report. The report, GCC Powers of Construction by accountancy firm Deloitte, focuses on how the mega projects can overcome the challenges facing them and be delivered [...]
Plans to increase the number of foreign companies investing in the United Arab Emirates have hit the buffers after lawmakers threw out draft legislation. Instead, members of the Federal National Council (FNC) opted to move the legislative draft to a new law set to be discussed later this year. The council’s members voiced fears over [...]
Tax authorities across the world are targeting the wealthy and businesses shrouding their financial affairs in offshore havens after a huge amount of sensitive financial information was leaked by a whistle-blower. The data reveals the names behind secret accounts in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Cook Islands and Singapore. In Britain alone, HM Revenue [...]
Fears that Malta could follow Cyprus into a financial abyss are unfounded, according to financial experts. The similarities between the two Mediterranean islands are uncanny but their current positions, in financial terms, are worlds apart. While both countries signed up to the European Union in 2004, joined the Euro and both have banking sectors that [...]
A clampdown on taxing US citizens living abroad is having an unintended consequence with growing numbers preferring to ditch their passport rather than face disclosing their overseas assets. The figures come from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which reveals that in the first quarter this year 670 Americans ripped up their passports. By doing so, [...]
The fight against controversial pension liberation fraudsters has stepped up a gear with one firm working on a legal interpretation of a pension fund’s transfer rules to help protect their clients. Legal and General is now taking a tougher stance when approached by pension liberation firms requesting that a pension pot be transferred. They now [...]
The potential impact of a controversial law aimed at unearthing the overseas financial deposits of US taxpayers has led to one US senator introducing a bill to repeal the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Despite Congress passing FATCA, several issues are causing increasing concern in the corridors of power in the US. The main [...]
Bitcoin is money you cannot touch and only ‘virtually’ spend online, but the concept is attracting a lot of intention from investors putting up real cash to back the currency. Supporters see this as a sign of faith in the currency, but regulatory bodies are now taking a closer interest as interest grows. In the [...]
Investors have a chance of a glimpse at what Russian’s really think about life and money in their country with two new research projects. Russia’s quickly growing economy is bringing opportunity but also concerns for its population, according to the Ivanov index. The survey, which questions 2,300 people in 164 Russian cities which have a [...]
Shocking figures have revealed that 12% of British workers aged over 55 have not saved a penny for their retirement, says the government’s Money Advice Service (MAS). Around 8% revealed that they believed they may never have enough money saved to retire. The figures underline a serious apathy towards pension saving in the UK – [...]
The looming spectre of deflation is stalking Eurozone economies as prices continue to fall, say economists. The European Central Bank (ECB) is having less room to manoeuvre in a bid to stop deflation and Europe now faces years of economic struggle similar to Japan’s deflation-ravaged economy. Such a scenario will drag countries like the UK [...]
An ongoing legal battle between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and the beleaguered investors in Singapore QROPS will go another round after the High Court gave permission for a new legal challenge. Around 120 investors joined forces to bring a group litigation action against HMRC after the taxman handed them bills for 55% of their [...]
British expats are among thousands voting with their feet and moving elsewhere as Spain’s economy continues to struggle. Things are now so bad in the country that the stampede of deserting expats has registered Spain’s first population drop since 1857, when records began. With unemployment now running at 26%, the country’s National Statistics Institute has [...]
The number of British small businesses looking for financial backing under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) is on the increase, says one private equity firm. Rockpool Investments says that HM Revenue and Customs has given the green light to a growing number of EIS applications from firms looking to raise money. The scheme is designed [...]
FATCA Critics Fears Arrest by US Authorities : The founder of a web-based platform which, amongst other expat issues, discusses the impact of the F...
FATCA Timeline After Deadline Changes : The IRS has pushed back the start date of FATCA – the Foreign Account Compliance Tax Act – from Janu...
EBT Ruling Hits Thousands of Banking Staff : Around 2,000 British employees of the US bank JP Morgan must pay income tax and national insurance c...
Interview: James Jatras, Lawyer and Anti-FATCA Lobbyist : James Jatras, a former US Diplomat and US Senate staffer, who now runs a legal firm in Washington D....
FATCA Closes Swiss Bank After Admitting Tax Evasion : The first big banking scalp has been claimed as US authorities enforce FATCA, a clampdown on financi...
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