UK Inheritance tax (IHT) is the tax which is paid on an estate when the owner of that estate dies. Depending on certain criteria, the tax may also be payable on gifts or trusts made during that person’s life. Typically, UK Inheritance Tax is paid by the executor using funds from the estate of the deceased. Trustees with assets in a trust are usually responsible for the payment on IHT in that trust and sometimes people may have to pay IHT on gifts received. However, the payee of IHT is dependent on a number of factors, and each circumstance may affect who should pay the IHT owed. British expats and non-residents Read more…
The UK is finally moving away from a decade of austerity, as the 2020 spring budget has seen spending soar across many different sectors. The newly appointed chancellor, Rishi Sunak, spent a large part of his speech targeting the current and future impact of the coronavirus and how the government could help people affected. But the rumoured inheritance and pension tax relief reforms were given much less attention, if any. Reports that the chancellor could drastically overhaul the inheritance tax (IHT) system by reducing it to 10% with a £30,000 lifetime gifting limit came to nothing. Little airtime was also given to pensions, with the only measure taken by the UK government being Read more…
Companies could slash UK pension promises to 11 million employees, potentially knocking thousands of pounds off the incomes of people in retirement, if proposals in a government consultation paper are approved. Unions are likely to react furiously to the proposals, which would allow companies to save £90bn by providing annual increases in their retired employees’ pensions based on the consumer price index, rather than the retail price index. As CPI is generally lower than RPI, the impact on pensioners is likely to be significant over time. Analysis by advisers Hargreaves Lansdown suggests that for every £1,000 in pension income in 1988, under RPI it had increased to £2,586 this year, Read more…
Property Development Loans – From UK Expat Pension Reviews Property Development Finance and Property Development Loans are short-term funding options, used to develop either an existing building, i.e. refurbishment, conversion, or a new build development. They can also be for residential houses, shops, offices, industrial buildings. It can be for investment purposes or owner occupied. Development Loans are usually taken over a period of between 6-18 months. This really depends on the type of Development; with a light refurbishment it would be as little as 3 months, and with a larger scheme up to 18 months. Bridging finance for development is used to build a new building or convert an existing Read more…
Compared to the drama of the previous week, markets were restrained, as US earnings settled nerves. The disruptor has been disrupted. Sears, Roebuck and Company was founded in 1892, selling a huge range of products by mail order: bicycles, sewing machines, cars, then fridges, groceries and cooking stoves too. In short, Sears provided ordinary consumers with the capacity to order a huge range of affordable goods from home. Sound familiar? With the dazzling rise of Amazon in recent years, it certainly should do. But it is the rise of Amazon – and, in earlier years, Walmart – that best explains the fact that, last week, the queen of 20th century Read more…
When you start saving for the future can often come well down the list of financial priorities, behind paying off debts, paying a mortgage and financing a child’s education. However, the longer you put it off, the more you’ll miss out on the power of compounding returns. Einstein reportedly stated: “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it… he who doesn’t… pays it.” Most people appreciate the importance of paying off debts to avoid the interest rolling up. But the power of the compounding concept is often overlooked by those who need to create wealth for the future. The secret of investing success Read more…
Millions of over-55s are potentially forgoing expert help because it involves discussing their own mortality. Talking about death is rarely easy. Nevertheless, the importance of preparing for the end of life cannot be overestimated, and having a financial plan in place ensures that your family isn’t subjected to additional stress and upset at a difficult time. But while it makes obvious sense to tackle these issues sooner rather than later, new research shows that half of people over 55 have not had a conversation with their loved ones about end-of-life finances. This could make locating bank accounts, insurance, investments and personal possessions much more difficult for surviving partners, family members or Read more…
With just months to go until the UK leaves the European Union, how can exporters plan ahead? The odds of no Brexit deal being reached before the UK’s scheduled exit at the end of March is now below evens, according to several leading betting agencies. For UK exporters, such an outcome significantly raises the significance of Brexit, not least because trade between the UK and EU is so significant. For example, 55% of goods imported to the UK in the 12 months to 31 May were from the EU, while 49% of goods exported from the UK went to the EU.1 Of course, the UK government is hoping for the best of Read more…
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