expat network

Australian Expats Returning Home:  How To Prepare

Simon DePaoli of Moore Stephens lays out the issues regarding financial planning and expat life that Australian expats returning home need to consider – writing from the perspective of an Australian who has done it. Expatriate life is a heady existence. There’s the opportunity to fast-track career aspirations, the novelty of travelling to new countries...

military pension

Why Has My Military Pension Suddenly Reduced?

“Why has my military pension suddenly reduced? Is there anywhere I can find a definitive guide to the Taxing of expatriates’ pensions? I know there are two main categories of expatriates those that are in countries and territories that have reciprocal agreements with and those that don’t.  I know this affects if your pension is...

brexit

Brexit – Increasing Uncertainty For British Expats In The EU

British expats face continuing uncertainty in the light of the increasing risks of a no deal Brexit and the Brexit Select Committee has called on EU leaders to guarantee the rights of British expats in Europe. Many British expats fear that they stand to lose their rights to live and work in member states if...

offshore banking for expats

What Are The Benefits Of Offshore Banking For Expats?

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 Targeting British Expats

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...

travel insurance

Travel Insurance For Expats: Is It What You Really Need?

If there’s one thing that expats around the world do, it’s travel. This may seem like a really obvious statement, seeing as how a person has to travel in order to become an expat, but one doesn’t have to be a genius to look at expat communities in countries around the globe and see that...

insurance

Expats’ Special Insurance Needs

Everyone faces risks that require reliable insurance coverage.  Expats face the same risks as well as additional risks caused by their decision to live abroad.  It is important to recognise the risks that you face and to be sure that the coverage does not have terms invalidating the insurance because of your location or because...

pension pots

British Pensioners Could Face £10bn Being Wiped From Pension Pots

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...

Which Are The Most Expensive Cities In The World?

Expats are used to seeing surveys saying that Singapore is one the most expensive cities in the world. Sovereign have just produced a tax adjusted cost of living index, the Sovereign Worldwide Cost-of-Living Index, to give a more meaningful measure for those planning to live abroad rather than just visit. The Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU)...

airlines

World’s Best Airlines And Airports

Airhelp, the air passenger rights company has announced the results of its 2018 evaluation of the world’s airlines and airports. Airhelp rates the airlines and airports on quality of service, on-time performance, claims processing and online consumer sentiment. Airlines Qatar Airways tops the list of airlines beating Singapore Airlines, last year’s winner. This was achieved...

expat mortgage

Falling Expat Mortgage Interest Rates Favour Expat Buyers

Offshoreonline report that when expat house buyers return in the busy summer buying period they will have a significant negotiating edge due to the recent falls in expat mortgage interest rates and the effect of a weak housing market in the UK. “The availability of lower expat mortgage rates, whilst at the same time, many...

us expats

US Expats Resent Continuing US Tax Requirement

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...