by Expat Focus US Tax Partner Bright!Tax

While living abroad can be the experience of a lifetime, unfortunately American expats are still required to file US taxes from abroad, reporting their worldwide income, often as well as filing foreign taxes in the country where they live (depending on the tax filing rules there).

Expats have to file US taxes because the US tax system is based on citizenship, rather than on residence.    more ...

Number of Chinese HNW expats heading to the UK rockets

The number of Chinese expats looking to utilise the UK's 'Investor Visa' programme has rocketed by 56% over the past year, a wealth advisory firm says.

London-based LJ Partnership says that the number of Chinese HNWIs, and also UHNWI's, who are applying to live in the UK are doing so because of the attractions of living in the country outweigh issues over Brexit.    more ...

Looming deadline for declaring offshore assets

HMRC is warning that a deadline for expats to declare their offshore assets is looming.

Those who fail to comply will face tougher penalties if they have not declared the right amount of tax. These penalties take effect from 1 October. HMRC says that anyone with overseas assets will now need to declare these quickly or risk a larger fine. They add that they will prosecute the most serious cases of tax evasion.    more ...

Has Brexit put you off the idea of moving overseas, or even just buying a property abroad? Whether you’re seeking a ski chalet for extended visits to France, want to make a permanent move to Australia, or are still weighing up your options, you might have plenty of questions about what Brexit means for your move abroad.

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Global HNWIs Leave UK For Australia And US

The UK may be losing its traditional position as a leading destination for High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs), with more ultra-wealthy people heading to the US and Australia, says a new report.

Research from New World Wealth reports that last year, the UK saw more HNWIs leaving the country than arriving for the first time.    more ...

Brexit is in and out of the headlines and the pound has been swinging up and down like a yo-yo as a result. By late January the pound to US dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate had broken through some key psychological barriers and was trending in the region of 1.43. However, Brexit struck again and papers reported Theresa May’s situation becoming more unstable amid a split in the Conservative Party and leaked reports showed Britain will be far worse off after the divorce. The pound sank to around 1.39 in just a few trading sessions during the final few days of the month, before bouncing higher again.    more ...

Most expensive places for expats revealed

An annual cost of living index which reveals the most expensive places for expats to live in has been revealed by Numbeo.com. Their figures for 2018 reveal that Hamilton in Bermuda is the most expensive location overall for expats.    more ...

Maybe you’re planning on buying a holiday home now, to retire to in the years to come, or maybe you’re just upping sticks for a life somewhere new. Whatever your reason, if you’re looking to invest in a property overseas in the New Year, there’s lots to think about – not only have you got to decide your location, pick a place you like, and consider removals, you’ve also got to move your money abroad, consider how you’ll make regular overseas payments for mortgages, pensions, property upkeep, or other commitments at home, and try and make the most of your funds in the process.    more ...

Expat Pensioners Suffer Brexit Blow

Most UK expat pensioners are now having to live off an income that is worth 20% less than it was in the Christmas before the Brexit referendum. The findings come from Equiniti, which handles pension payments for more than 60,000 expat pensioners, most of whom are receiving their pensions in the Eurozone.    more ...

Have you ever wondered why the pound fell after the UK Brexit referendum or snap election? Considered why you get more euros for your money when there’s an uprising of populist parties in the currency bloc? Or found that your dream home abroad was cheaper one month when there was some political uncertainty in your chosen country? Political unrest is tricky as no one can predict what might happen to a country. If you’re living in the UK, headlines claiming the pound has fallen or risen on Brexit developments are commonplace, whereas if you’re based elsewhere you might find developments in Europe or geopolitical tensions with North Korea might impact your domestic currency and the one you want to buy.    more ...