Expatriates living in Cyprus have had it pretty good, tax wise. Over the last few years we have watched as taxes in countries like Spain, France and Portugal climbed as part of austerity measures. 2011 and 2012 did see a couple of tax increases here in Cyprus, but nothing too worrying.This is changing. Cyprus has, ... read more ...

There is more bad news for cash savers, as bank interest rates continue to fall. In the UK, only one account now provides enough return to beat inflation, while here in the Eurozone the main interest rate has been cut to a record low.The European Central Bank (ECB) last cut its benchmark fixed rate in July 2012, whe ... read more ...

Inheritance tax is one of the most unpopular taxes in the UK, and it follows British expatriates around the world. It is based on domicile rather than residence, so even though you may now be non-UK resident, your estate could easily be liable for this tax, even if you do not have any assets in the UK. British expat ... read more ...

How much income can you – and should you – draw from your UK pension fund? Income drawdown is an alternative to buying an annuity at retirement. Your pension savings remain invested, and you can draw down a percentage each year as income. There are limits as to how much you can take, and the rules tie maximum drawd ... read more ...

The banking crisis in 2008 undermined the financial strength of institutions such as banks, but for many people the threat had receded since then. Until, that is, the situation in Cyprus reminded us all that banks can and do collapse, and that it is possible to lose money in the bank. Depositors in Cyprus’ two larges ... read more ...

It looks like more and more automatic exchange of information agreements will be signed over the coming years. Following on from the US’s revolutionary Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy have announced that they will develop and pilot a new multilateral tax information exchang ... read more ...