For expats who are not resident in the Canary Islands and intend on drawing down income benefits in the coming months, and wish to avoid being subject to emergency tax, we recommend you contact HMRC in advance, in order to obtain a personal tax code and thereby automatically claim any personal allowances due. Please note that this process can take some time.
Malta:
At the moment, if your Pension Fund is held under the jurisdiction of Malta there is no flexibility available with regards to accessing your Pension Funds early (at the age of 55 years), however, new primary legislation has already been passed to mirror the aforementioned developments in the UK. Following discussions with the Malta Financial Services Authority, further updates and guidance are expected later this year. It is expected that most Maltese Schemes will be offering flexibility no later than 1st January 2016.
Gibraltar:
If your Pension Fund is held under the jurisdiction of Gibraltar, flexible access is currently under discussion with HMRC. At this stage the 70 / 30 rule still applies, with drawdown subject to capped income of 150% of GAD rates.
Isle of Man:
Currently, the Isle of Man is looking to add flexi-access to its legislation. This will be debated in the Manx Parliament this Autumn. In the meantime the 70 / 30 rule still applies, with drawdown subject to 150% of GAD rates.
Flexi-drawdown plans set to impact delisted QROPS in Guernsey
If, on the other hand, your Pension Funds come under the jurisdiction of Guernsey, your ability to access flexi-drawndown may be affected by new legislation, especially if your scheme has been delisted QROPS. If you are unsure about this, please contact us NOW so that we can review your circumstances and advise how this will affect you.
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.
As an expat myself, I have been keeping a close eye on the news relating to the British people’s decision to seek an exit from the EU. Our newspapers are filled to the brim day in and day out with commentary from the ‘Brexiteers’ and ‘Remainers’. Everyone seems to have an opinion as to what will take place, how it will look and what actions you need to take – but the basic facts at this moment in time are that ‘we don’t know’ – it is all speculation.
France has long been a favourite destination for expats. But what is it that’s so alluring about the country? Two recent expat surveys have highlighted a number of reasons behind why some expats chose to move to France, looking at all the main perks that are most commonly experienced. One key positive mentioned is the overall improved quality of life, with almost half of the respondents mentioning it as their main motivation behind moving.