Pension freedoms are being compromised

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.

How / why did you get into your line of work in the financial services sector?

I’ll hold my hands up and say I was something of an… unlikely candidate for a brokerage at face value, with a diverse back-catalogue of PR clients from sparkling wine and mobile payment apps, to granola and bingo – plus, something of a cavalier attitude towards my pension, for which even the most benevolent financial adviser would send me to the naughty step.