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Can expats vote in May’s surprise general election?

In October, as a response to the upset, the government announced – in what’s known as the ‘Votes for Life Bill’ – that it would be scrapping the 15-year time limit. Thus, allowing all expats, regardless of how long they’ve not been registered in a British constituency, the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The government promised that all expats would be eligible to vote in time for the 2020 election.

However, the upcoming surprise election was not foreseen. Now, a British embassy official in Madrid has confirmed that, while the government remains “committed to changing the law to enfranchise all British ex-pats”, there is not enough time to pass the Votes for Life Bill before the snap election.

Because the outcome of the election is likely to be vitally important in respect of how Brexit negotiations will be carried out, and because the government specifically promised expats they would have their say in the next election, many feel the timing is unfair.

Unhappy with the news that she and others like her will be disenfranchised, Chris Madsen, an expat living in France, started a petition demanding that long-term expats be given the “fundamental” right to vote. Madsen said the 15-year rule may be OK in matters of local politics, “but in the recent referendum it prevented many of the very people whose lives would be most greatly affected from having a say in their own future”. Madsen believes that the same thing happening again is unacceptable. The petition gained thousands of signatures in just 24 hours.

In the meantime, if you’re an expat who’s lived outside the UK for less than 15 years, then you should check you’re on the electoral register and apply for a proxy or postal vote as soon as possible.

As for the actual election itself, what might it mean for expats? Some are concerned that if the Conservative party wins, it will convince the government to stick to their plans of a hard Brexit, withdrawing Britain from the single market and potentially causing problems for many around Europe. On the other hand, if Labour or the Liberal Democrats (who are very much an anti-Brexit party) gain more seats, then the whole Brexit strategy is likely to be changed (and the decision to leave could even, potentially, be reversed).

Whether the result of the 2017 general election makes things clearer or just further adds to the uncertainty over Brexit, expats can help themselves by having sound financial planning in place so they are well prepared for the future outcomes. Blacktower offers a variety of expat financial services to help you reach the best decisions on managing your money.

This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.

Other News

Changes to the Dutch 30% reimbursement ruling confirmed

Thirty Percent SignRecent news about the 30% tax ruling in the Netherlands could have substantial implications for British expats and their financial planning and wealth management strategies.

The 30% tax ruling for expats in the Netherlands enables employers to offer working expats 30% of their salary tax-free as long as they meet certain requirements. The intended aim is to encourage highly skilled workers from around the globe to bring their expertise to the Netherlands. After all, relocating to the Netherlands is not cheap, and the tax advantage is there to help offset all the expense that comes with relocating. There are approximately 60,000 expats who currently claim the tax break.

As we reported last year, the tax break came under fire in a report published by the Dutch research bureau Dialogic for being far too generous and, therefore, costing the Dutch government too much money for it to be sustainable. When published in June 2017, the report suggested several reforms to the system, including shortening the number of years that expats could claim the tax-relief from eight years to five. This was because research carried out by Dialogic found that the vast majority of expats making use of the benefit (80%) claimed it for fewer than five years; less than 10% actually claimed the benefit for the full eight years.

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Is it time to dump your Premium Bonds?

Is it time the 21 million people with over £60 billion saved should cash in their Premium Bonds? Of course, you could just win millions! Premium Bonds are a savings product where the interest is based on a monthly prize draw and the annual prize rate is dropping from 1.35pc to 1.25pc. This is the average return, indicating that for every £100 paid in to bonds, on average £1.25 a year is be paid out.

In practice, that’s impossible. The smallest prize is £25; so if 20 people each had £100 in, for one to win £25-plus, the remaining 19 win nothing.

They seduce with tax-free returns, but if you live in Spain that is not and has never been the case and now, in the UK, that’s no longer special with the new rule meaning all savings interest is automatically paid tax-free.

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