The clocks have gone forward, Spring has arrived, which means it is time to start thinking about your French tax returns! Some things in France seem to involve an inordinate amount of paperwork, but for many, tax is not one of those, as the process is surprisingly straightforward, or at least it may seem that way with the right professional guidance. Read the rest of this entry »
The financial crisis has naturally rocked many people’s confidence in financial institutions. Some of our clients have been asking us about the merits of property as an investment (as opposed to somewhere to live) - thinking that a tangible asset likes a house or apartment might be a better bet than stocks or shares. This article considers the pros and cons of property versus what we might call “financial assets” - Shares, Bonds and Funds. In particular, we focus on France, as Kentingtons advises clients on investments in France and/or for French residents.
Every day it seems there is news that rocks the foreign exchange markets one way or another. On Monday, news about the UK’s borrowing sends Sterling down. On Tuesday, it’s the Euro’s turn as the Greek crisis takes a new twist. Meanwhile the Dollar is up on good economic data - or down on worries about debt. Read the rest of this entry »
Mention the words France and taxation in the same sentence and many will start to stutter and maybe even tremble a little. Living in France is all about the life style isn’t it? Surely high taxation is just a fact of life for those whom living in France is either a reality or an ambition? Read the rest of this entry »
There are many people either moving to, or living in France, who have Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) in the UK and ask us what they should be doing with them. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s tax return time in France. If you moved to France in 2009 and have yet to complete your first tax return, now is the time to get organised for your first declaration. Read the rest of this entry »
Whether you are concerned about the falling markets, the weakness of the Pound against the Euro, poor interest rates, how heavily you will be taxed in France or just your pending tax returns, this event is not to be missed, as all these concerns will be addressed by Kentingtons and other guest speakers.
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Since its creation in November 1999, over 300,000 couples have “Pacsed” and it has been used to good effect as a financial planning tool for those who wish to combine their finances, but do not wish to get married. With recent changes in the law, being Pacsed has never been more attractive and we have received numerous enquiries as to how this works, thus this article is by popular demand. Read the rest of this entry »
2008 will forever be burned into the mind as a very memorable year for the British expatriate in France, but for all the wrong reasons; an ailing global economy, a suffering Pound and house prices falling through the floor. Read the rest of this entry »
You may have noticed that recently (as shown on the chart below) we are more than merely dipping our toes in the weakest zone the Pound has ever found itself against the Euro, but wading waste deep. As of the date of writing (the morning of 17th December 2008), the Pound buys just €1.1045 and people are asking how long before we are up to our neck in it (parity and beyond). Read the rest of this entry »
I will start this article by saying residency is a matter of legislation, it is not a matter of choice. I am often asked “where is it best to pay taxes … France or the UK?” It must be clear that there is no choice; it just depends where you fall within the rules. Read the rest of this entry »
If you were going to have heart surgery, I am sure that, before going under the knife, you would like to be certain that the person performing the operation was in fact a qualified and hopefully experienced heart surgeon. You might be very worried indeed to find that their background was as a tree surgeon and they were merely trying their hand at something different … well its still surgery! Read the rest of this entry »
A successful seminar was held yesterday, hosted by Kentingtons, at the wonderful Bastide de Tourtour. I would like to thank all those who attended and contributed to the discussions making it an exceptional event. Feedback has been very positive indeed, with many commenting on being surprised and amazed at what they had learned. Read the rest of this entry »
With Sterling weakened against the Euro and uncertainty caused by the credit crunch, where does one place their money? Should one invest in the UK or France, Sterling or Euros? Maybe money could be placed in some offshore tax haven, with the possibility of arousing the suspicion of the fiscal authorities. Read the rest of this entry »
Many people ask what the options are when it comes to their UK pensions. The issue, when it comes to UK pensions, is always the intense lack of flexibility, which is always desirable, but it becomes imperative when you leave your home country, as financial planning always becomes a little more sophisticated when living abroad. So what are the options? Read the rest of this entry »