Taxation

Hi
We visit Denmark about 5 times a year (mainly for the brilliant jazz!). In fact, if you live in Aarhus, you have probably had the good fortune to have met the best trombone player in Europe (long hair, long beard, never seen without a hat!). Anyway, we have come to love the country and made some real good friends, so, as I am coming up to retirement age, we thought it would be a very nice place to live. Having said that, I am going to find giving up work quite difficult as I enjoy it so much. I work from home as a programmer - 500 miles from my employer, so working from Denmark would be no different and I can see me carrying on for a while. However, from recent research it would appear that, as a resident of Denmark, we would have to pay Danish taxes on all income, regardless of the source. With salaries being comparatively high in Denmark, the 45 to 63% or so tax may be OKish, but on an English salary, and worse still on an English pension, it would be crippling. I can't even see the equivalent of the £9000 tax allowance that English pensioners enjoy. I really hope that I have misread this, we will be really disappointed if we have to give up our plans. Please tell me I'm wrong. Sbguru

Sorry for the delay, I've just moved home - It was a big move;)
My sincere apologies if this answer is too late for you, but it might perhaps help someone else in the future.

I would say that because your prospective move is potentially more complicated than simply moving abroad to take a Danish job, you should at least consider either talking to a tax lawyer or get your accountant (if you don't have one, consult one) to investigate. The fees should be deducted from your taxable income (at least that was the case in the UK as from my experience).

I really don't think it would be as bad as you think, but it's best to find out before you get too involved. If you visit Århus often, it might be worth walking into the kommune office to have a chat with someone who can look into the details.

Danish tax laws can be so incredibly complicated even on domestic issues, but they do however allow certain what the locals call "bonuses" (tax relief), based on your circumstances, but there can be so many different aspects to your personal situation in terms of tax, that it's not appropiate to discuss those matters on a public forum. It's always better to consult a professional. Also, beware of double taxation issues.

I can not help any further in terms of experience, because I originally moved to Denmark first, and then found a job. I suspect the rules would be different in terms of transfering a pension, but I really don't know.

Good luck in your quest:)