Spotlight On … Clifford Knezovich – IFA

Many UK nationals have accumulated savings and investment portfolios using an array of options, such as National Savings to Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), Personal Equity Plans (PEPs) and Premium Bonds. Unfortunately, once you take up residence in Spain, the tax incentives provided by the UK schemes fall away and the income and gains may become wholly taxable under Spanish law.

When you move to a new country, it is a major change and should prompt a complete review of your wealth management to ensure it is as effective as possible for your new life. Similarly, if you have lived in Spain for a number of years, it would be wise to have a full review of your saving/investment/pension position to ensure optimum benefits. We take a look at some of the most common investment types and what your move to Spain might mean for your finances. 

In September 2017, it was announced that the Portuguese Government, following pressure from Sweden and a number of other European countries, was looking to water down the country’s non-habitual residency (NHR) tax regime, potentially bringing to an end a programme that has worked in the interests of expats since 2009. The uncertainty this proposed move provoked certainly threatened to put a dampener on the financial plans of quite a number of expats and would-be expats as they moved into 2018.

However, the budget proposal presented by the Portuguese government in November seemed to allay these fears. There was not a single mention of the scheme, which would have seen the introduction of a flat rate of tax of either 5% or 10% on income drawn from the pensions of NHRs.

In all probability any such move would have seen the pensions of existing expat NHRs unaffected; however, it would have presented a significant stumbling block to the retirement plans of many looking to move both their wealth and their residence status to the country.