Brits Urged to Take Up German Citizenship

Opposition to the imminent changes to the Dutch 30% tax reimbursement scheme (see the Blacktower news feed) is growing. Now, VCP, the Dutch white collar workers’ union, has joined the dissenters by calling for, at the very least, a transition period for expat workers who will suffer unwanted changes to their Netherlands wealth management plans as a result of the amendments.

It is easy to see why so many people find the timetable for the ruling so unjust; those affected could see their incomes reduced by around 20% once the ruling comes into force in under six months.

It could also result in unwanted damage to the Dutch economy, with real fears that it could deter expat workers from coming to the Netherlands in the first place.

The importance of putting money into a pension cannot be understated, and the British government has a regulation in place – the pension tax relief scheme – to encourage people to save. But many experts are predicting significant changes to the scheme. If you’re planning to retire overseas as an expat and take advantage of international pension transfers, you’ll need to stay updated with these changes.

How does pension tax relief work?

The pension tax relief scheme is an incentive to entice people to put money into their pension pot. To reward people for thinking ahead to their retirement, the government currently tops up their pension contributions based on the rate at which they pay income tax. So, basic rate taxpayers will receive 20 per cent tax relief (meaning they only need to pay £80 into their pot to get £100), while higher rate taxpayers are entitled to 40 per cent relief.