In fact, some jurisdictions such as Andorra, Georgia and Gibraltar have predicated a large part of their growth on attracting high net worth individuals to all the benefits and investment opportunities that are inherent in being a low-tax residency.

Despite a rich choice of low-tax jurisdictions to choose from, three of the EU countries that levy forms of wealth tax continue to be among the most popular retirement and residence destinations for UK expats: France, Spain and Portugal (although the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development – OECD – does not include Portugal in its list of countries levying a tax on net wealth).

If you live in one of these countries or are considering a move, you should be aware of the implications of the various types of wealth tax and how they might affect you. Here we take a country-by-country look at some of the things you need to know.

France

Up until the end of 2017 French wealth tax applied to the total value of almost all assets – including savings and investments – however, since the start of 2018 all people resident in France have been liable for wealth tax only if they have global property assets worth more than €1.3 million. It should also be noted that the tax may also apply even if you are a non-resident; the same €1.3 million threshold applies to French real estate owned by non-residents.

Portugal

Portuguese Adicional Imposto Municipal Imobiliário (AIMI) tax (as an additional assessment to Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis – IMI) applies to all Portuguese property that exceeds the €600,000 valuation threshold, regardless of whether it is owned by a resident or non-resident. Rates are applied as follows:

• Companies: 0.4% over the total tax value of the properties with no threshold (if the property is used by a company shareholder, Director or their family, the tax rates for individuals will be applicable)
• Individuals:
  • 0.7% over the tax value of the properties owned over €600,000 and less than €1,000.000;
  • 1% over the tax value of property valued at more than €1,000,000 and less than €2,000,000
  • 1.5% over the tax value of the properties higher than €2,000,000
  • The above thresholds may double if the property is owned by a married couple under specific marriage regimes when they opt to be taxed together
• Offshore entities: 7.5% over the total tax value of the properties with no threshold.

Spain

Unlike Portugal and France, Spain levies a wealth tax based on the value of a range of assets including property, regular savings, investments, art and yachts. This makes speaking to your expat financial adviser about planning for wealth tax in Spain a necessity. For residents of Spain, the tax applies to all applicable global assets worth over €700,000 (double in the case of couples and with a deduction for a main home). For non-residents, Spanish wealth tax applies to Spanish-domiciled assets only, worth over €700,000. There may be some regional variation on the scale of the tax, so it is worth discussing this with your expat financial adviser.

Expat Financial Advisers

Blacktower FM’s expat financial advisers can help you build a strategy to help you negotiate the many cross-border financial challenges you will face, including wealth tax when living overseas. Download our for more information.

The Blacktower organisation has more than 30 years of wealth management experience and can help you further your goals. Contact us today for more information.