Mine was consumed, how about yours?

It is thought that there are more than 200,000 British expats living in France and, although the country is only a short hop across the Channel, living there can sometimes be something of a sustained culture shock – even for the seasoned expat who has had years to acclimatise.

Yes, some expats still struggle a little with French life; whether it is because of confusion about making a QROPS or QNUPS transfer, difficulties negotiating France’s tax planning bureaucracy or uncertainty as to how best manage regular savings.

As the “will they, won’t they” saga of Brexit rumbles on it is useful to look at some of the things expats can actually do to reaffirm their ties with the UK in the event that they plan to move back to Blighty at some point in the future.

The issue has taken on a new urgency for expats, particularly in regards to property, in light of the new surcharge that the government plans to introduce alongside stamp duty on second home and buy-to-let purchases in England.

Although Prime Minister Theresa May says that the surcharge is for “foreign buyers” and is being introduced with a view to assisting UK taxpayers buy a property – especially first-time buyers – it may have some unintended consequences.

This is because it is not just foreign buyers who are likely to find their pockets hit by the tax. Returning expats – who could well be a prominent demographic over the next few years – may also find themselves liable for the surcharge, potentially setting them back significantly on their way to reaching their wealth management objectives.