expat network
mortgage

Can I Get A Mortgage As An Expat?

When living and working abroad many British expats want to retain an interest in the UK property market by investing in a buy-to-let property to get a good return or they buy a property for their family or to leave empty so that it is ready for them when they return home.  Expats from other...

us citizenship

How To Renounce US Citizenship, The Costs And Implications

Reports consistently point to the increasing numbers of Americans considering renouncing their US citizenship with the burden of citizenship-based taxation as the major driver.  Up until 2009 there were less than 750 people renouncing their US citizenship annually.  This increased to 1,500 in 2010 and continued to grow peaking in 2016 at 5,409 with a...

taxation

Taxation Of US Expats: The Basics

The basic principle is that Americans living and working abroad are subject to the same tax rules as those who remain in the US.  Americans are subject to US income tax on their worldwide income.  There are the additional reporting requirements of FATCA and FBAR (see Five Things American Expats Need to Know About Foreign...

self assessment

UK Expats: Do I Need To File A UK Self Assessment Tax Return?

If you no longer live in the UK, you may still be required to file a Self Assessment tax return with HMRC even if you’re a non-resident. This article was written exclusively for Expat Network by Go Simple Tax Tax rules for UK residents and non-residents can be different – one of the first...

home

Why Expat Tenants Need Home Insurance

Even before you moved to Hong Kong, you may have heard about the highly unaffordable rent in the city, which always ranks top among the world’s most expensive housing markets. This perennial problem has become so extreme that a resident needs to spend 19.4 years without any other expenditure in order to be able to...

tax compliance

Don’t Miss the US Tax Compliance Boat – OVDP Ends Sept 2018

If you are an American citizen or green card holder living abroad who has unreported assets and income, time is running out to take advantage of a critical Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) tax compliance program. Written exclusively for Expat Network by Kevin Sweeney, Senior Counsel, Chamberlain Hrdlicka Here’s why. Effective September 28, 2018, the...

Looking To Transfer Your Expat Pension?

Expats generally have the right to transfer their pension abroad into a qualifying scheme. For some, the benefits of doing so are manifold. However, there are risks, and it’s fair to say that you need to tread very carefully when considering all your options, as a significant tax charge can apply in certain circumstances. Written...

competition

Missing The Tastes Of Home? COMPETITION To Win A British Gift Box!

What do British Expats miss the most about home? Whilst expats are generally motivated by the lure of adventure, opportunity and new lifestyles and experiences, most do come to miss those little things that we all take granted. Culture, history, sense of humour and even the weather are things Brits often cite as things they miss about...

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...

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...

Great Move

How To Achieve A Great Move Abroad

Katia Vlachos, born of Greek parents in Cameroon, has lived as an expat in Paris, LA, the Netherlands, Vienna and Zurich and so is well placed to write on living the expat life. At the London book launch of her new book, A Great Move, she outlined her top seven tips for a successful expatriate...