Time To Review Your Financial Planning
By Gavin Scott Over the summer months many people put off dealing with matters like their financial planning. They were busy enjoying all the Algarve has to offer in summer,
More Families Pay More UK Inheritance Tax
By Gavin Scott We are lucky here in Portugal compared to some other European countries, since the local inheritance tax regime is relatively benign. However, many British expatriates remain liable
Jersey to end banking secrecy for EU residents
By Gavin Scott Jersey is to drop the withholding tax (“retention tax”) option under the EU Savings Tax Directive. It will be mandatory for financial institutions to automatically exchange information
Cost-effective government
A “more efficient and less expensive State” is the objective of the government’s “new ruling cycle”, said Minister of Economy, António Pires de Lima, recently appointed to the role of
New rules for failed banks hit €100,000 depositors
EU finance ministers have agreed new European “bail-in” rules which will force bank losses onto investors and depositors with over €100,000 in the event a bank fails. In other words,
Saving … for ourselves
Scottish Widows, one of the largest UK Life offices, recently estimated (December 2012) that today’s children will need a £2.4m pension pot to achieve a comfortably and debt free retirement.
Tax revenue up by extra €1.4 billion
The Portuguese State earned €19.2 billion in tax revenue from January to July – up 7.6% on last year – and direct taxes IRS and IRC were mainly responsible for
Another three years of low Sterling interest rates
By Gavin Scott In another blow for savers, the Bank of England unveiled a new policy which means interest rates are expected to remain at historical lows for another three
EU to extend automatic exchange of information
By Gavin Scott The amount of financial information to be shared between EU countries will significantly increase over the next few years. The European Commission has proposed extending the automatic
UK Offshore Centres To Share More Information
By Gavin Scott The UK government is getting even tougher on tax fraud. Prime Minister David Cameron has made “fighting the scourge of tax evasion” a key priority of the