According to statistics from HMRC, the average value of a QROPS transfer over the more than 11 years since April 2006 has been £93,087, and under the 25% rule, transfers of this value would attract a charge of £23,272. Surely this is too much. But given that since 2006 around 105,000 pension savers have between them transferred close to £10 billion as part of QROPS arrangements it is easy to see why the government is reluctant to abandon such a lucrative tax.
Those behind a recent petition to the UK parliament certainly think so. The petition has labelled the charge as “unfair” and the creators have said it denies them the opportunity “to make the most of their retirement savings”.
“The overseas transfer charge discriminates against expats outside the EEA in a country which does not host a QROPS, making them pay a 25% exit tax on moving their pension fund from the UK to a QROPS to gain better financial terms,” said William Wilson, who lodged the petition on the website of UK parliament.
“The charge is unreasonable as the rules punish QROPS members for financial planning when savers with other pensions, like Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), can live in the same place as a QROPS saver and suffer no transfer charge on moving their fund.”
It is also a concern that the tax seems to push against the notion of self-determination regarding financial expat affairs. If the government is serious about allowing people to have both freedom of movement and freedom to decide their own financial affairs, wealth management and pension planning, they should not be discouraging them and in some cases debilitating them for making bold choices in regard to their pensions.
In order to generate responses from parliament the petition needs to be supported by at least 10,000 signatures by the time it closes on 19 July 2018, so it could still be some time before the issue receives the debate it clearly deserves.
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.
Located at the Southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, the British overseas territory of Gibraltar looks South over the confluence of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. This small but strategically important isthmus of land, is home to over 32,000 people in just 6.7 km2 (2.6 miles2) of land. As a British crown dependency, the laws and language are those of the United Kingdom, but Spanish is also widely spoken along with the hybridised form of the two known as Llanito. Due to its location and close links with the UK, Gibraltar has long been a favoured destination by British expats looking for sunnier climes and an attractive tax regime. Although it’s not quite as well-known as some other offshore territories such as Monaco and the Cayman Islands, Gibraltar tax rates make it a very attractive choice for anyone looking to relocate within easy striking distance of the UK and Western Europe.
To help tax authorities in various countries hunt out those individuals and companies trying to hide assets, the UK has recently signed a disclosure of asset agreement with Spain, Germany, France and Italy. What does this mean? It means that the UK, in partnership with France, Germany, Spain and Italy, have passed regulations that will lead to the automatic sharing of information about the true owners of companies, complex shell companies and overseas trusts.