Gordon Brown wins election – tens of thousands more Brits plan to migrate!

If May 6th voters return the current government to power, that’s not an unlikely headline according to migration experts Montfort International plc.

The UK economy is in a dire state and unlikely to improve quickly. Another five years under the dour Chancellor / Prime Minister who, according to an Oxford academic on Radio 4 last weekend, even in the good times spent more on public services than his governments received in revenues is not a prospect that appeals to seemingly an increasing number of people.

In the meantime Australia with its affluent energy sectors and long-term economic prospects has a certain lure tempting would be migrants seeking new opportunities..

Whilst Australia is not weathering the recession entirely unscathed, it has financial reserves put aside over the previous decade and more positive factors supporting its move away from economic crisis. In addition to the better employment landscape, the lifestyle, the climate and the prospects of a tax-free retirement are far better than those facing Britons remaining at home in the UK.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that in June 2008 5½ million of those living in Australia had been born overseas, That’s a quarter of all Australians! Those born in the UK remain the largest group with 1.2 million Brits already calling Australia ‘home’, so new migrants have no reason to feel lonely pioneers.

For more information on the potential benefits of a life ‘down-under’ call Montfort International free on 0800 018 3571, email info@miplc.co.uk or visit their website www.miplc.co.uk. And for some Australia offers tax free opportunities in retirement using Australian Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pensions (QROPS).

Alistair Darling to Target Tax Evasion

With the expected crackdown from Alistair Darling on offshore tax evaders in tomorrows budget – must come a need for IFA’s to know they are not becoming unwittingly caught up in the net. How many understand the implication of Gaines-Cooper, Double Tax Agreements, Australia and New Zealand Visas and QROPS. A lot of learning is required very, very quickly!

With heavy betting on the maximum penalty rising to 200% of the tax owed, what will the impact be of poor pension advice.

With stories of QROPS being set up with pensions for those who have no intention of leaving UK, we can see advisers caught up in the onslaught. With HMRC with increasing capability to unearth these people with Tax Information Exchange Agreements and revisions of Double Tax Agreements and footprints left by QROPS transfers. There is a growing need to check who you are dealing with if a QROPS transfer is being recommended. Please be sure to check that your adviser is registered with the Financial Services Authority.

For more information on Australia and New Zealand QROPS pension transfer advice please contact the QROPS pension transfer advice team at Montfort International on 01483 202072 or visit our website www.miplc.co.uk.

Even more reason to come to us early for migration and pension transfer advice

One of the biggest barriers to delivering our financial advice quickly to our clients is our reliance on obtaining information from occupational pension scheme administrators. Often, the delay at their end is also due to awaiting details from the government relating to the Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP). This, along with various other details, is vital for us to make an assessment as to whether or not to transfer your pension to an overseas scheme known as a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS).

This delay has been an ongoing issue and is unfortunately only set to get worse in the near future. Industry figures have recently warned that HM Revenue & Customs will struggle to cope with a deluge of information requests from pension scheme trustees attempting to equalise GMP payments; a problem that has existed for 20 years and now needs to be addressed.

In order to deliver our migration advice to you in plenty of time before your departure and, where appropriate, arrange for a transfer of your benefits to an overseas pension scheme, it therefore becomes even more essential for you to come to us as early as possible for your free initial consultation.

Please contact us on 01483 202072 for more information.

The “Ashcroft question”: Can I, too, escape the UK tax net?

You are unlikely to have missed the unprecedented level of media comment about the tax residence and domicile of several public figures and their apparent ability to avoid paying UK tax on at least part of their income. There has also been speculation about a possible exodus of talent from the UK as the higher tax rates and potentially less friendly pension contribution treatment impact on UK residents.
Even before tighter domicile provisions start to bite in the UK we have seen a string of (mostly successful) court cases brought by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on the meaning of residence and ordinary residence in the UK.
Those coming to work in the UK can limit their UK tax exposure on arrival, particularly if split service contracts are used for UK and non-UK duties. It is also possible to escape the UK tax net if you go abroad for full-time work, although there are increasingly tight rules governing visits to the UK to retain family, social and other ties. (The 90 days a year maximum was once interpreted as excluding the days of arrival and departure, but now they too are counted.)
If however you are retiring or merely electing to live abroad then the UK tax situation is far more fraught. A much more distinct break from the UK is required and migrants need expert financial planning advice to ensure they do not inadvertently make costly mistakes in what is an extremely complex situation. For over 15 years the experts at Montfort International plc have been providing exactly this advice to their clients. For a free, no obligation chat contact them on 01483 202072 or info@miplc.co.uk.

New incentive for Australian residents to declare offshore income

The net is closing on those who live in Australia and who have undeclared overseas assets, pensions, ISA’s, shares or foreign pension schemes.
Australian Tax Commissioner Michael D’Ascenzo’s urges Australian residents who may not have declared all income from offshore activities to “do the right thing to get their tax affairs in order” by 30 June 2010.
According to Geraint Davies, Managing Director of Montfort International, Australia is not alone. ‘Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes (QROPS) have been seen as the solution to the taxation issues created by non-declaration of UK pension schemes to foreign jurisdictions, but this is not necessarily the right move. In fact some people may have exempt income so suitable financial advice for the country of residence is an absolute must.’
“Australia has highly sophisticated processes and systems to trace fund flows around the world and they are getting better at it,” says Davies. “Banks and other overseas tax jurisdictions can easily identify people with undeclared income. What were once considered highly complex and sophisticated arrangements to dodge liability now provide easy pickings.”
Australia has tax information exchange agreements with nine countries and more will soon follow. With over forty overseas jurisdictions having signed a Double Tax Agreement with Australia, only the most naïve will want to make a non-declaration stance with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The ATO matches data supplied by overseas revenue agencies, financial institutions and AUSTRAC with income tax returns to identify undeclared foreign income and to identify Australian residents involved in foreign transactions.
In 2007 the ATO made a similar offer and as at 31/10/09 more than 3,000 disclosures had been made, totalling over $306 million in omitted income and raising nearly $65 million in liabilities.
“Tax advisers have told us of clients with undisclosed foreign income want to come forward to set things right, but are concerned about the consequences of doing so, particularly the potential for criminal investigation,” Mr D’Ascenzo said.
“People can now approach us anonymously for an indication of whether we would initiate an investigation to determine whether there is a potential breach of the criminal law. In making this decision, we will often seek advice from an appropriately qualified panel which will include external members’
“This offer is not valid if we commence an audit so I remind people again — contact us before we contact you. There’s a much higher price to be paid later if we discover undeclared income through an audit process. Penalties can be as high as 90 per cent, and we will seek prosecution in serious cases. There is nothing wrong with holding an offshore account or investing overseas as long as you pay any Australian tax due, however we will continue to focus on the misuse of offshore financial arrangements.”
The new offer doubles the shortfall penalty from 5% to 10% should a person’s additional income from offshore activities be more than $20,000 in a tax year.
There is some comfort for those with additional taxable income of $20,000 or less in a tax year as they will not have to pay a shortfall penalty for that year. This remains unchanged from the previous initiative.
For more information and assistance on structuring your finances for migration to Australia, please do not hesitate to contact the adviser team at Montfort International on 01483 202072.

Australian QROPS may cause problems for migrants

UK emigrants who have moved their superannuation to what they thought was a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) Australian superannuation scheme may have unwittingly made payments that contravened the UK rules and given their members a tax burden.
The UK HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) recognize there will be teething problems in the initial stages of new regulation, but any honeymoon period could be short lived. HMRC expects schemes to own up and not wait to be found out if they have made unauthorised payments, as the UK Tax Compliance department is already onto it.
“Various Australian advisers are quite rightly telling people it’s possible to move their money into an Australian “complying fund” but the potential problems begin when they state that the member can elect for the scheme to pay any tax liabilities on growth post arrival. Some Australian pension schemes have inadvertently broken fundamental regulations.
Further instances have come to light where schemes have incorrectly advised that members can, after the first reportable lump sum, take out the lot. Rules appear to have been broken in many cases. Schemes and advisers need to take prompt advice to ensure they correct the situation as soon as possible. We are already acting as a go-between” reports Geraint Davies, Managing Director of UK financial advisory firm Montfort International plc.