MyExpatTaxes: New Software Ahead of the Tax Year
MyExpatTaxes is releasing its 2026 Expat Tax Guide for US nationals living abroad who need to navigate the considerable complexities of the American taxation system. As well as compliance advice and filing solutions, the guide covers what to do if you’ve given up US citizenship, issues surrounding self-employment, and late filing. CEO Nathalie Goldstein says:
“Our goal with the 2026 Expat Tax Guide is to give Americans overseas clarity and confidence during tax season. Whether you’re employed, self‑employed, an entrepreneur, retiring abroad, or managing multiple foreign accounts, this guide offers practical insights and step‑by‑step information to stay compliant and maximize your tax outcomes.”
Self-Employment Contributions in Spain
The Spanish Treasury is currently embarking on a three-stage process to evaluate self-employment contributions for the 2024 tax year. This is predicted to impact around 3.3 million ‘autónomos’ across the country, with one of three possible outcomes:
- You will owe additional contributions to the Treasury
- You will be owed a refund
- No discrepancies have been identified
This review is taking place because a number of self-employed workers paid higher contributions than their income warranted during the tax year. If you wish, you can opt to maintain that higher contribution base.
Streamflation Strikes in Spain
“Streamflation” is having an impact in Spain, according to expat financial news this month. Around 65% of households in the country now have more than one streaming subscription, and small, incremental price rises can add up over time. TV shows, films, audiobooks, and live sport all contribute to daily life for expats — but they can also become expensive.
It is estimated that a household may spend between €70 and €110 per month on digital subscriptions, which have risen by more than 80% since 2017.
In September 2025, Netflix withdrew its €9.99 ad-free plan, leaving customers with a choice between an ad-supported plan at €6.99 per month or a standard ad-free plan at €13.99. Spotify’s premium plan has also increased from €10.99 to €11.99, while its family plan has risen from €17.99 to €20.99.
Financial expert Carlos Navas told the press that many households rotate subscriptions — for example, signing up to watch a particular series — while maintaining one core platform.
French Senator Takes up Expats’ Interests
France is tightening its residency rules, with complaints that expats whose primary income (i.e. more than 50%) comes from outside the country — such as a UK pension — are being excluded from obtaining French nationality.
Charente senator Nicole Bonnefoy has recently taken up the issue on behalf of expats, particularly British retirees living in her region who “are perfectly integrated, speak good French, pay their taxes in France and are committed to local life.” She explained to the press that the issue does not only affect Brits, but other third-country nationals as well, particularly Americans. Nor is it limited to Charente; regions such as Dordogne and Alpes-Maritimes are also affected.
She told the expat press:
“These are people who are settled, who own their homes, who pay taxes, who spend locally and support their communities – and in some cases were even, before Brexit, local councillors. Yet George Clooney recently obtained French nationality without any difficulty, even though I do not believe he has income in France. I therefore questioned the interior minister, but received an unsatisfactory stock reply.”
The objection to granting citizenship is that applicants reliant on overseas income are deemed not to have transferred ‘the centre of their interests’ fully to France or demonstrated sufficient ‘economic integration’ — even if they are paying taxes there.
The policy derives from an internal circular memo issued by the French Interior Ministry in May 2025, instructing prefectures to adopt a stricter approach to citizenship applications. Senator Bonnefoy describes the policy as “completely abnormal.” It represents a departure from what has been known as ‘goodwill tolerance,’ often applied by the French state to retirees.
Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF) Rankings
The StartupBlink 2026 Innovators Business Environment Index (IBEI) has released its latest report, ranking more than 125 countries across over 30 parameters. The aim is to help readers evaluate how easy it is to start, operate, and scale a business. The IBEI states that it:
“is a global benchmark dedicated to evaluating how easily innovators can start and operate a business across the world. The Index introduces a comprehensive framework designed to capture the readiness of national environments for entrepreneurship, including the systems, institutions, and infrastructure that enable innovators to begin and scale their journey efficiently and with confidence.”
The Index measures the friction and infrastructure that define the business journey by asking:
- Can I start easily?
- Can I operate profitably?
- Can I trust the system?
These are assessed through three central pillars:
- Ease of Operating – how simple, fast, and operationally frictionless it is to start, run, and maintain a business.
- Business Incentives – how financially attractive a country is for entrepreneurs and investors.
- Market Perception – how a country is viewed globally in terms of governance quality, credibility, transparency, stability, human capital, and international mobility.
The top ten ranked countries are:
- United States – substantial market size with a business-conducive environment
- Singapore – highest scorer across the eight key parameters
- United Kingdom – leading hub in Europe
- Canada – high performing
- United Arab Emirates – top-ranked in the Gulf region, particularly for taxation
- Switzerland – strong, stable business ecosystem
- Israel – top-tier hub for innovation
- Japan – first globally for lending rates and credit access
- Saudi Arabia – global leader in friction-reducing policy levers and strong on taxation
- Germany – economically strong
Outside the top ten, New Zealand (11th) ranked first globally for business start-up, Finland (19th) is a world leader in resolving insolvency, and Cyprus (15th) scored highly in Western Europe for taxation.
Overall, the report shows that 17 of the top 20 countries perform strongly in Access to Capital and Financial Infrastructure, while 16 of the top 20 show strong results in Regulation and Governance.
However, access to funding varies widely, and apart from the countries named above, taxation is seldom identified as a key strength.