It is true that offshore banking has sometimes been associated with tax avoidance schemes which give it a bad name.  However, offshore banking for expats can have many benefits, even if there are no tax savings. Expats by definition work away from their home country and will therefore tend to earn in one currency whilst...

HMRC, the UK tax authority, is working to ensure British expat taxpayers continue to pay tax on their UK affairs. It recently released new figures that demonstrate its increased co-operation with foreign authorities overseas, leading to a considerable rise in levels of expat tax collected. In 2017 HMRC made 1,006 requests to overseas tax...

According to an analysis conducted by financial advisory consultancy, Hoxton Capital Management, the average pension pot of over-65 Britons living abroad has reached £210,000. In volatile years, they report, currency market fluctuations removed as much as 20% from British pensioners’ spending power. Based on the amount of British citizens aged 65 and over living in...

Greenback Expat Tax Services’ 2018 US Expat Opinion Survey,based on input from over 3,800 expats, highlights the unpopularity of the requirement for US expats to file US taxes while living abroad as well as concerns about their representation in the politics back at home. Greenback report that 67% of US expats do not believe there...

The United States is one of just a few countries that employ lifelong tax reporting requirements for its citizens. So, many US expats are stunned when they find out that they are required to file annual US tax returns – regardless of how long they have lived abroad. Below is a quick reference guide to...

There are many financial issues that face those who are looking to move to Portugal. Many of these issues can be dealt with easily, provided you take advice from an expert in both Portuguese tax and tax law in your home country. Something that can save you tax in at home can have the opposite...

Buy-to-let mortgages for expats are available to help you invest in the UK property market and there are various options for obtaining a loan. There are additional challenges for expats beyond those faced by domestic borrowers. Buy-to-Let (BTL) Mortgages: This type of mortgage is used to facilitate the purchase and remortgage of residential property in...

At a loss over losing money when you need to send cash back home? It’s a common problem for expats who are getting stung by excessive fees and hidden charges from banks. With CurrencyFair, an online marketplace, secure transactions are made faster and far cheaper. Sending Money Abroad – this article was written exclusively for Expat...

The impact of the Brexit referendum has made investing in UK property for British expatriates an attractive prospect. Yet the practicalities of doing so can be a little more tricky. With increased regulations around lending and changes to lending practices, many lenders have withdrawn from the market, leaving expatriates struggling to find ways to invest...

France has a reputation as a high tax jurisdiction and while President Hollande was in power, some wealthy French nationals chose to move to the UK and Portugal, enticed by their fiscal sweeteners. But France can be a tax efficient place to live for retirees, providing you understand the tax implications of your specific situation...

The US IRS has announced that the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) will close in September 2018.  The OVDP was set up to allow US expats with potentially serious offshore compliance issues to avoid criminal prosecution and cap any exposure to penalties.  The IRS indicated that the reason was the ‘significant decline in the number...

US Expat Taxes have been affected by significant changes to the American tax system between 2017 and 2018. Some of the changes are made annually, like alterations to tax brackets, deductions, and personal exemptions, though others were distinctive, like the sweeping tax reform that was passed at the end of the year. This article has...