Viewing posts from: November 2000

Inheritance Tax in Catalonia

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 27th January 2020

With all that has been happening this year, it could well have slipped many people by that significant changes have been made to the inheritance laws in Catalonia, particularly for those who are resident there and receiving an inheritance from someone outside of Catalonia.

Previously, spouses and descendants received great allowances in respect of tax due to be paid, starting from 99%. However, for those receiving inheritance as a descendant this has been reduced, at the worst to only a 60% reduction. This raises two main questions, firstly, what would the tax payable be for an inheritance, and secondly, is there a better way to receive this, for example, as a gift rather than an inheritance, which itself has different tax rates?

It is important to understand how an inheritance is taxed in Catalonia. Major factors are the relationship between the deceased and the inheritor, what asset is being received and where the money comes from, i.e. which country. In the UK it is fairly straightforward: if someone dies being resident in the UK and leaves you assets up to £325,000 there is usually no inheritance tax (paid by the estate); anything over this is taxed at 40%. However, in Catalonia it is not that simple (Surprise surprise, I hear you say!) and alongside what is declared and may be tax payable in the UK, you must also declare and pay the relevant tax in Catalonia. Any assets you already own can also be taken into the equation of what tax is payable.

Inheritance tax in Catalonia is paid for by the receiver, not the estate, and very importantly, you have 6 months to declare this inheritance, EVEN if you haven’t received it yet (this is from the date of decease) or you will be fined the following way on the amount of tax you are liable to pay:

5% in the following 3 months (i.e. months 6-9 since death)
10% from 3 months to 6 months
15% from 6 months to 12 months
20% plus interests after 12 months

But if you know that you will need more time you can ask for an extension of an additional 6 months during the first 5 months from the death. In this case, the surcharges described above will not be applicable and you will have an extra period of 6 months.

There are some discounts on inheritance tax in Catalonia. To start with, there is usually no tax to pay on the first €100,000 being received if you are a spouse or child of the deceased. For other descendants the allowance is €50,000. If you are an ascendant the allowance is €30,000 and for any other relation the reduction is €8,000.

From this point on, there are further reductions between 97-99% and there are also other factors to be taken into account, such as are the children under 21, disabled, or if you receive the main home (“vivienda habitual”), family business or shares in certain type of companies.

As you can see, the calculation is not straightforward. The quickest and simplest way, I feel, to give you an idea of what tax you would pay is if I give examples using the most typical scenario of people we help, which is of a parent resident in the UK leaving their child, who is living in Catalonia, an amount of money/assets not including property (as we said there would potentially be extra tax deductions for receiving this). The guidelines are shown below for someone tax resident in Catalonia, over 21 years old, owning assets themselves of less than €500,000. Note that the ‘domestic trousseau’ has also been included (the domestic trousseau is a tax on inherited household items, for example furniture, by default calculated as 3% the estate value):

Amount to be inherited	Tax due in Catalonia
€100,000	€84
€250,000	€6,969
€500,000	€29,888
€750,000	€64,908
€1,000,000	€109,297

One possibility we would check for a client is whether it would it be better to plan the future inheritance and anticipate it, receiving the monies through a donation that is taxed between 5% and 9% between parents and their children (with some specific requirements). Additionally, please note that if a previous donation has been made, this must also be considered in order to calculate the effective inheritance tax rate. We always suggest getting in touch to confirm exactly what the amount would be, and for help declaring it. For the assets themselves, it is worth knowing that many assets overseas are not always efficient to have while living in Catalonia.

For example, investments or ISAs in the UK are declarable and tax is payable in Spain on any gain annually, EVEN if you do not take any of the money, unlike in the UK. It is possible to have these monies in a Spanish compliant structure, still in sterling if you prefer, where you can benefit from the money growing through compounding and potentially greatly mitigating tax. This is where we help our clients to get organised efficiently and can manage the assets if needed.

If you have any questions relating to this article, would like help planning for this eventuality, or anything similar, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Click here to receive important Financial/Tax related updates

UK Pension transfer – most common questions asked

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 8th November 2019

Without even mentioning the ‘Brexit’ word, if you have a private or company pension scheme in the UK but reside outside, it’s a good idea to understand what your options are in managing and having access to them. There are a handful of subjects I am regularly asked about regarding this:

UK pension currency
If you transfer your pension outside of the UK, it does NOT have to remain in sterling; all major currencies are usually available. It can also be changed at most times and be held in different currencies. Of course, at the moment this is an even more important thought process for your retirement savings.

Access to pensions
From age 55 you can have access to as much of your UK pension as you like, although bear in mind that in Spain pension money will be subject to personal income tax, after any allowances. Therefore, you might want to arrange this so as to not incur higher taxes (there are several ways to do this).

Pensions from a previous employer
These pensions are known as dormant or frozen, and at the very minimum you should know what you have, where they are and how they work. We help clients track these down, explain how they work, what your options are and start planning to make them either more ‘healthy’ or easier to access. Some pensions may have high charges, or the pension scheme could be financially in trouble. Having all this knowledge as well as the options available will help you make an informed decision.

Can I transfer any pensions I have myself?
In short, if you are abroad, no, since the process is complex and not easy to understand if you are not in the financial world. Also, HMRC won’t allow it unless you have received advice. We have clients with different levels of experience in finance and pensions, and we work alongside them all closely, giving them the knowledge to make their decisions and managing the process for them.

If they are UK pensions and you want to keep them in the UK, then yes, you can usually do this yourself depending on the value involved.

You cannot transfer a pension to another person, although there are ways you can pass it on effectively.

Pensions transfer charges
When overseas pension transfers were started many years ago, the costs were a lot higher than running a UK pension scheme, although the benefits were greater. Now, with increased competition from providers, the charges for moving and maintaining an overseas pension are a lot lower. However, this does depend on who you perform the transfer with and what advice you are given. I still come across clients where the charges are so high it is almost impossible for the pension to grow. There are ways of helping these people, but usually by then they have lost out on many years of growth, which is really frustrating as it didn’t need to be that way. It’s so important you work with a Financial Advisor who is working for you, at your pace and advising in your best interests, not theirs.

Selecting a Financial Advisor to work with when investigating moving a UK pension
There are several points/questions you should check when deciding whom to seek advice from. These are:

1) Recommendations, you cannot beat them. Does anyone you know work with a Financial Advisor and they are happy with them?
2) Does the Financial Advisor have the necessary qualifications to give you advice?
3) How are they remunerated? Ask them how much and when.
4) Do they have any long-standing clients you can speak to? If they do and you manage to speak to them, ask them specific questions so you know they are both genuine and how it worked for them.
5) Look into their eyes… meet them several times, get a feeling for them as a person, their morals and actions.
6) Research them on the internet, or ask around and see what’s said about them.

I do know clients who have done most of this and still not had a great experience. The only additional advice I can give is to look at the pensions and companies they are recommending. If you haven’t heard of them before or you don’t get the ‘spider sense’ that they purely have your best interests at heart, then look elsewhere. Remember, they are going to be looking after your retirement. For years I have helped people evaluate their pensions, and as well as looking to help new clients, the main reason I write these articles is to help people avoid potentially working with someone that doesn’t have their best interests at heart.

Inheritance Tax in Catalonia

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 11th October 2019

11.10.19

*There have been recent updates of 1st January 2020 – please click here for the new rates

In the circle of life, it’s an unfortunate occurrence that parents or relatives pass on from this world we live in and leave an inheritance, whether that is property, money, investments or other assets. The value of this inheritance may or may not be the kind you are used to having or looking after, and that is where we/ I come in, to make sure this your inheritance is safe and looked after, taking into account your life situation both now, and in the future.

How is this inheritance taxed in Catalonia though? I hear many stories or ideas among people I meet but no one seems to know for sure, or get it right anyway. One of the reasons for this is that it depends on where the money comes from, i.e. which country and what asset is being received. Many of my clients are from the UK, how does it also work there? In the UK it is usually very simple, if someone dies being resident in the UK and leaves you assets up to £325,000,there is usually no Inheritance Tax (Paid by the estate); anything over this is taxed at 40%. However, in Catalonia it is not that simple (Surprise surprise, I hear you say!) and alongside what is declared and maybe tax payable in the UK, you must also declare and pay the relevant tax here

Firstly, Inheritance tax in Catalunya is paid for by the receive, not the estate, and very importantly, you have 6 months to declare this inheritance, EVEN if you haven’t received it yet (this is from the date of decease) or you will be fined the following way, on the amount of tax you are liable to pay:

5% in the following 3 months (i.e. months 6-9 since death)
10% from 3 months to 6 months
15% from 6 months to 12 months
20% plus interests after 12 months

The good news is that there are discounts on inheritance tax in Catalonia, and most people are surprised by the amount of tax they have to pay, in a good way. To start with, there is usually no tax to pay on the first €100,000 being received if you are a child or spouse of the deceased. If you are a parent of the deceased, the allowance is €30,000 and any other relative receives a €50,000 nil tax amount including grandchildren.

From this point on, there are further reductions between 97-99% and there are also other factors to be taken into account, such as are the children under 21, disabled or if from a family business. The quickest and simplest way, I feel, to give you an idea of what tax you would pay is if I use the most common example, of a parent living outside of Spain, leaving their child whom is living in Catalonia an amount of money/asset not including property (there would potentially be extra tax deductions for receiving this):

Example (guideline) of someone tax resident in Catalonia, inheriting from a parent in the UK:

Amount to be inherited	Tax due in Catalonia
€100,000	€0
€250,000	€383.82
€500,000	€4,300.05
€750,000	€16,866.68
€1,000,000	€40,473.29

These are approximate and we always suggest getting in touch to confirm exactly what the amount would be, and for help declaring it. For the assets themselves, it is worth knowing that many assets overseas are not always efficient to have while living in Catalonia. For example, investments or Isas in the UK are declarable and tax payable on any gain in Spain annually, EVEN if you do not take any of the money, unlike in the UK. This is where we help our clients to get organised efficiently and manage the assets if needed.

If you have any questions relating to any of these points, or anything similar, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Click here to receive important Financial/Tax related updates

Tax Advice in Spain for Expats

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 24th September 2019

24.09.19

Whenever someone gets in touch with me, the first, most important thing I suggest they do is to make themselves and their family as tax efficient as possible, i.e. tax planning. There is no point having a ‘leaky bucket’: their money earning interest but more than needs to is pouring through the ‘tax holes’ they haven’t plugged or planned for.

So, apart from the obvious reason of minimising the current tax you pay, why is it important to review your tax situation? It is to make sure you are aware of ‘stealth taxes’. Stealth taxes are those which are not easy to detect and that many people are not aware of.

If you are a government, you want to win as many votes as possible to be elected (or re-elected). You need money to spend, but raising taxes on the upper echelons will damage your votes, raising taxes on the working classes will also damage you votes, and both will be very vocal. Therefore, what has become increasingly popular with governments is to increase taxes that won’t necessarily hurt voters’ pockets on a day to day basis, but which could do in the future.

A good example of this is something called the lifetime allowance. This is the ‘ceiling’ under which the value of your UK private pension will be in the regular tax bands. However, if your pension pot overshoots this limit, you will pay increased tax of up to 55% on anything over that ceiling. Never heard of this tax? Well, I can assure you there are some very normal, everyday, hard-working people who are not in the upper echelons of society and who, due to long pension contributions and having good investment advice, will reach this limit in their lifetime.

To explain this a little more, the lifetime allowance ceiling was introduced in 2006 and was £1,800,000 at its maximum. Over time, it has been reduced and reduced to its present rate of £1,055,000. During that same time inflation has increased, people’s earnings have increased, contributions to pensions have increased; so why should the ceiling go down? Stealth tax.

Moving forward, stealth taxes are likely to be the most popular way for governments to increase their income without the majority of people noticing.

Let’s think about this. What else could the government do along these lines to increase revenue? How about tax those British people living outside of the UK more? They don’t live there, they don’t have the same rights as everyone that does, so are they not an easier target? So, what could they do? Tax UK state pensions (currently they do not tax non-UK residents, although they are taxable in Spain)? Or how about tax those with UK private pensions a ‘non-resident tax’? Or tax those who move their UK pensions outside of the UK and not into a place where the UK government has an agreement with? In fact, the last one they do already!

What can you do? Well its quite simple really; plan now so that should any of the above or anything like this happen, your assets or monies are arranged to be as tax efficient as possible to mitigate these circumstances. If your assets are working just as effectively as they are now, but are much more tax efficient, it could save you and your family a lot of money in taxes in the future.

Perfect preparation prevents P*** P*** performance I believe is the phrase!

Moving to, or living in Spain after Brexit – What do you need to do?

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 20th August 2019

*UPDATED 1st January 2020

If you have been living in Spain lawfully for at least five years, you will be able to apply for indefinite permission to reside there, which is termed ‘permiso de residencia de larga duración’ simply meaning ‘long term residence permit’. Note that you cannot apply until the UK has ‘potentially’ finally left the EU.

Apart from this, there are four main conditions to be able to remain in Spain after Brexit:

No criminal record
That you have not been ejected from Spain OR from a country which Spain has a verbal agreement with
You have private health insurance
You have a net monthly income of at least €799 for a family of two, and a further €266 per month for each additional family member

However, if after Brexit you have not been in Spain for 5 years but are living there legally, there is no great need to worry. The time you have spent there will count towards the 5 years and as long as you meet the above criteria, you will then be able to apply for the ‘permiso de residencia de larga duracion’. What you might have to do though, is apply for permission for what you will be doing in Spain. For example, if a retiree, you might need to ask to be that in Spain. Or, if you wish to work (see more about this below) you will need to apply for this also. If you wish to holiday for less than 3 months at a time, then you should not need to apply to remain in Spain for this. Before Brexit, obviously none of this was required.

Working, or not working, in Spain – after Brexit
If you wish to move to Spain after Brexit, but NOT work in Spain, you will need to apply for a ‘permiso de residencia no lucrativa’ meaning essentially a ‘non profit visa’. You will also have to prove you have money to live on, such as a regular permanent income (a salary would not count for this) or through bank statements showing that a minimum balance has been maintained over at least the last year, with your name and account number.

If you are an employee of a company in Spain, then they should be taking care of your application to stay.

Moving to Spain after Brexit as self employed
If you are looking to move to Spain and work for yourself, you can apply to be self employed, or ‘Autonomo’. You will need to be able to demonstrate the following, as well as applying for permanent residence as set out above, i.e. ‘permiso de residencia de larga duración’. The commercial activity you will be doing must comply with Spanish rules and you must:

have the relevant qualifications
have sufficient funds to invest in the activity to make it viable
give the number of people you will employ, if any
have sufficient funds to support yourself, on top of the funds for the activity (see above)
Provide a business plan which makes sense to the Spanish Authorities
not be suffering from a serious illness

Retiring in Spain after Brexit
When looking to retire in Spain after Brexit, there will be several criteria to fulfil and adhere to in your application. Those are:

No illnesses that are a serious public risk (eg smallpox, SARS)
€2130 monthly income for the main earner in the family, and an additional €532 for each dependant
Proof of ability to sustain this income for one year

Note, after you have resided in Spain for 5 years, you can then apply for ‘permiso de residencia de larga duración’ as mentioned above and will only need to adhere to those criteria moving forward from that point.

The process – what happens when you are accepted?
When you have been accepted, you will be issued a visa within 1 month and you must enter Spain within 3 months for this to remain valid. If you have permission to work and you do not register with the social security office within three months of your arrival, your right to remain will lapse.

Where to apply when moving to Spain, after Brexit
To apply for permission to live in Spain, you go to your local Spanish Consulate, even if you are not living in your country of origin. The process is thus: the Spanish consulate confirms whether all the relevant documents are in order and that everything has been provided that needs to be. They, in turn, send this to a Spanish Government office who will decide if they will give you permission to move to Spain.

If your application is successful
If applying to live in Spain without working and you are successful, you can then pick up your visa within one month. If applying to work, you will then be asked to make this application, again within one month, once you have been given the ok to reside in Spain.

The visas are valid for one year, when it needs to be renewed for periods of two years moving forward. During this whole time, you need to abide by the rules mentioned above including having the required income to live/run your business. Then, after you have lived in Spain for five years you can apply for ‘permiso de residencia de larga duración’ and solely adhere to those rules, again as mentioned above.
Once you have moved to Spain legally, your rights, taxes and your families rights will be the same as any citizen of the EU. Like everyone else, having lived in Spain for 10 years, you can, if you wish, apply for Spanish residency. To do this you need to demonstrate that you have integrated into Spanish society, including speaking the language and understanding the culture.

If you would like to receive further important updates on living in or moving to Spain, as an English speaker, sign up to Chris’s Newsletter here:

Tips on Moving to Spain before Brexit

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 24th July 2019

24.07.19

*UPDATED 1st January 2020

With the UK likely to leave the EU in 2019, many people are making the move and leaving the UK whilst it is arguably still easier to do so than it will be after Brexit. But what are the key things you need to do in order to be organised from a personal financial advice point of view? Here I have listed my ‘Top Tips on moving to Spain’, the main areas I point people in when making the move, or having just arrived in Spain. This could save you a lot of time, money and headaches, and is only a small example of the way I help clients living here in Spain.

Confirming Non UK Resident Status with the HMRC
Potential Tax Rebate
National Insurance Contributions Whilst Abroad
Checking Your National Insurance Contributions
Becoming Tax Resident in Spain
Existing Investment Organisation
Inheritance
Healthcare
Life Insurance
Wills
Property
Private Pensions
Banking
Why Move to Spain Before Brexit

Please click on each link below to find out more regarding that area of expertise:

Confirming Non UK Resident Status with the HMRC
Tell the HMRC that you will no longer be a UK resident by filling in form P85, informing your local council and the UK state pensions department. This is important for the following reasons:

Potential Tax Rebate

In many cases you could receive a tax rebate, depending on which part of the tax year you leave in. Tax is taken from your wages and worked out on what you are paid each month, starting with the first month. Therefore, if your final UK salary payment is in September having been earning £4,000 per month, for example, that means the following months until the end of the tax year, in March, you won’t be paid anything. Therefore, because the HMRC would have been taxing you on the basis of completing that financial year, the tax you owe could well be reduced and in many cases a rebate will be applicable.

National Insurance Contributions Whilst Abroad

You can apply for Non Resident relief when living abroad, meaning that you can pay National Insurance contributions in the UK at half the cost, so around £11 per month (which mathematically is worth doing, considering life expectancy in Europe of 84). You can also backdate these up to 6 years if you have been out of the UK that long and haven’t been paying.
www.gov.uk/national-insurance-if-you-go-abroad

Checking Your National Insurance Contributions

You can see how many years National Insurance contributions you have by entering your number on the link below:
www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

Becoming Tax Resident in Spain

It is important that when you move to Spain you choose the right tax regime to be part of. For example, if you are working for a Spanish entity, you may be able to apply for The Beckham Law, which means all worldwide income will be taxed for 5 complete tax years at least, at a flat rate of 24% (as opposed the normal rate of up to 46%).

Or, if you live in Spain, work for a Spanish company and spend up to two weeks of the month outside of Spain on business, you may be able to deduct tax for every day you are away proportionally. So, that could mean up to half the tax payable.
IMPORTANT – Some of these tax regimes only give you a limited time to apply for them. For example, within 6 months of paying tax here you have to apply for the Beckham Law.

It may also be of benefit to set up a Spanish company instead of becoming self employed, the main rule of thumb here being if your income is likely to be consistently over €60,000 per annum.

Existing Investment Organisation

Any investments you have when you become tax resident in Spain (that is, spending more than 6 months a year in Spain and having your economic centre of interests there being the deciding factors) will be reportable in Spain and might not be as tax efficient as they should be. For example, many asset classes such as ISAs or stock/share/fund investments (unless structured in a certain way) are declarable each year and tax is payable on any gains, whether you take any of that money or not. In some cases, you can have your assets organised so this is not the case, and the tax can potentially be reduced when you do withdraw any money.

Inheritance

In Spain, rules on giving away your assets are very strict and you are limited in what you can give away per year without incurring any tax. This is an area that is worth considering and organising before you leave the UK. In the UK there is usually no inheritance tax to pay on small gifts you make out of your normal income, such as Christmas or birthday presents. These are known as ‘exempted gifts’. There’s also no inheritance tax to pay on gifts between spouses or civil partners. You can give them as much as you like during your lifetime, as long as they live in the UK permanently. However, other people you gift to will be charged inheritance tax if you give away more than £325,000 in the 7 years before your death. See the sliding scale below:

In Spain, gift tax depends on the age of the person and their relationship to you. In many circumstances you receive a €100,000 exemption, following which a sliding scale up to 20% is applied in tax. Spouses can claim up to 99% relief. It is imperative to look at this before you move.

Years between gift and death	Tax paid
less than 3	40%
3 to 4	32%
4 to 5	24%
5 to 6	16%
6 to 7	8%
7 or more	0%

Healthcare

When you first arrive in Spain, registering at your local health centre should be a priority in case of illness. The requirements can change, but at present the following should be sufficient for you to acquire an individual health card (Tarjeta Sanitaria). This will enable you to register with a doctor, visit a health drop in centre (in Barcelona a Capsalut) and purchase prescription drugs:

NIE (tax number/residence certificate)
Rental contract of your apartment
Social Security number
Empadronamiento (document from the town hall confirming where you live)

Life Insurance

Insurance in Spain, in general, can be much more expensive than in the UK, and life insurance is an example of that. Many insurance companies will allow you to carry on with the life insurance you have in the UK, but you must get this confirmed in writing by them. To give you an example, I have seen an insurance cover in the UK at £22 per month, costing over €100 euro per month in Spain, and the cost is not fixed for life like it generally is in the UK.

Wills

Foreign residents of Spain are not permitted to give away more than the freely disposed part of their estate (one-third) as the rest is reserved for the ‘obligatory heirs’. If an international or Spanish will is made stipulating that the laws of a person’s home nationality apply, however, no aspects of Spanish inheritance law will apply to either Spanish or worldwide assets. In layman’s terms, if you are British, you can choose UK law and therefore leave your assets as you see fit without having to adhere to Spain’s rules.

If your estate is dealt with under Spanish inheritance law, ‘forced heirship’ rules apply (known as the ‘Law of Obligatory Heirs’ in Spain). This means there are restrictions on how you distribute your estate, as a certain percentage needs to be set aside for certain relatives.

The Law of Obligatory Heirs states that if the deceased was married at the time of death, the spouse keeps 50 percent of all jointly owned property. The remaining 50 percent is put towards the estate. The estate is divided into three equal portions:

One-third is divided between surviving children in equal shares
One-third is reserved for surviving children but can be distributed equally or unequally according to instructions in a will. The surviving spouse retains a ‘life interest’ (usufruct) in this part of the estate and the children do not inherit until the spouse dies
One-third can be disposed of freely in a will
If there are no children, then surviving parents are entitled to one-third if there is a surviving spouse, or 50 percent if not

Property

This is currently a very popular asset to buy in Spain. Key points to be aware of compared to the UK are the extra taxes/costs (approx 13% costs on top of the purchase price of a property in Barcelona) and that the market is not as regulated as the UK, which means that there are estate agents out there that are just interested in their commission. You MUST make sure you purchase a property with a Cedula (certificate that the building has passed health and safety required by Spanish law) and certificado de habitabilidad (this means the property meets the minimum standard for living in), otherwise, you might not get a mortgage and also it will be difficult to sell later as it is not a legal place to live.

If you have never lived in the place you are moving to, I strongly suggest renting an apartment for a period of time, maybe even a couple in different Barrios/areas. That way you will get a feel of what works for you. In many cases, renting actually works out cheaper than buying somewhere, even taking into account the recent rental price increases.

Private Pensions

There are sometimes tax implications on moving your pension outside of the UK, which many people have done for the resulting benefits. In the last couple of years, 25% taxes have been implemented depending on where you move your UK pension to. There are opinions that this charge could apply to the EU, should Brexit go ahead. If you are planning to move abroad, either before or after Brexit, looking into this possibility will give you the options and knowledge to assess and make an informed decision.

Banking

Banks in Spain can be very ‘charge’ friendly and don’t always fully explain how your account works. Usually when you arrive banks will give you a ‘Non resident’ account, incurring extra costs and charges. However, you can quickly open up a ‘Resident’ bank account with no everyday running costs, such as bank transfers or costs for withdrawing money from their own ATMs. To qualify for a ‘Residents’ bank account and bypass potential costs you need to transfer in €600-€700 per month.

Why Move to Spain Before Brexit?

There will be certain criteria to meet to be able to move to Spain after Brexit, in particular if you are self employed or own your own business. This is expected to include a year’s cash flow in the bank, private medical insurance, proof that your business is viable and if retiring, a minimum income of around €2,200. I have a much more in depth article you can read if you wish to know more about this.

If you have questions relating to these points, or anything similar, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Hot investments: It’s time to get creative

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 18th June 2019

18.06.19

Investing needs savvy, like a game of chess. It’s best to make carefully thought through moves so that it’s not left to chance. The most crucial part of investing is being in the know.

As a financial advisor, this is something I research and stay on top of so that I can best inform clients. And I only recommend what investments I would feel confident investing in myself. That is very important for clients to know.

When it comes to the stock market, it’s about knowledge and catching the wave at the best time. Right now in the world of investment it’s prime time for investing in some promising and exciting creative industries, namely the e-sports /online gaming industry and AI (Artificial Intelligence).

As we all know, the internet, Amazon and Netflix have totally changed the entertainment industry. We are no longer controlled by which shows are on television or in the cinemas, as we now have the luxury of watching whatever we want whenever we want. But perhaps the most massive surprise in the past year has been the overwhelming popularity of esports – which is simply fans watching professional video gamers compete online. Ever heard of Twitch? Well, there are more people logging on to watch pros gamers competing on streaming sites like Twitch than there are watching CNN or NBC.

Last autumn, a shocking 57 million people tuned in to watch a professional video-gaming (esports) match. It was triple the audience of the actual 2018 NBA finals. As a result of this success, the biggest companies including Coca-Cola and T-Mobile have spent hundreds of millions to sponsor these matches.

So, as e-sports and gaming continue to conquer all, which types of companies might be good to get in on? The top gaming companies you might want to consider investing with are Nintendo, Valve Corporation, Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, Sony Computer Entertainment, Ubisoft or Sega Games Co. Ltd.

And behind every great game is the hardware required to make it fanstastic. NVDA might not be a name you’ve heard, but literally all video games require ultra-high-performance chips and NVDA chips are the crème de la crème, used by over 85% of professional gamers.

(Forbes, 2018)

The ever-growing world of AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been booming and helping companies solve and manage many previous b2b and b2c issues and right now France is aiming to be one of the forerunners in the industry. Last year President Macron announced his government was investing €1.8 billion over 4 year period. A few of the top French AI start-ups are insurance fraud detection companies like Shift Technology; the AI voice assistance platform, Snips, which manufacturers can utilise for their products and Saagie, the online protection platform to store and guard our precious data for banks and insurance companies.

So, there are some exciting and creative opportunities for investment out there but as a financial advisor, when it comes to investment portfolios research and timing are crucial, as is ensuring clients are in a financial position where they able to play the market without the fear of losing their life’s savings.

Before considering any investments, I always start by advising clients to ensure they have sufficient funds they can access quickly and easily and then discuss what length of time they would like to invest other sums for, as it’s my first priority to nurture and protect their financial future. I would not recommend any client to invest in something that I would not invest in myself, but each client is well-informed in the knowledge that if they have the money to try their hand at investing, it is of course a risk. But it’s a risk that can be rewarding and a real learning experience as well.

How to retire like a pro!

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 24th May 2019

24.05.19

Over the years I’ve helped many clients prepare for retirement. To come up with the best solutions, there are several matters and concerns to consider that don’t automatically come to mind. Some people think they have carefully planned out their glory days, only to find out there were a few things they didn’t consider; not only on the financial side, but also on the every-day-life side of things. So, here are some of my top tips on retiring like a pro, enjoying life to the fullest and sleeping well at night.

Before going into all the financial ins and outs, stop to consider this: Where do you stand financially right now? And, what life goals or dreams do you have for the coming years? Remember, we want these years to be golden, not feel like walking on hot coals. So, starting with where you are and what you really want helps provide realistic focus.

When it comes to planning ahead for your post-work life, there are (for a great number of people) three main sources of cashflow which, when orchestrated carefully, can together ensure a comfortable retirement: company pension (or employer savings plan), social security and personal savings. For others – particularly the self-employed – retirement will entail savings, investments, assets and most likely continuing with your projects whilst learning to detach a bit. No matter which camp you lie in, knowing what you will receive from each source and then working out your monthly living budget will be is a great place to start for setting out what lifestyle you can plan.

After taking into account what monthly living allowance you will have, probably the most crucial thing on the “how to retire for dummies” list is devising and then maintaining a lifestyle you can afford. Practicing frugality whilst enjoying life is indeed a quality many fail at. It’s about knowing what you have to live on and living within those means. Being prudent with your finances does not mean being tight or ungenerous. As Coco Chanel said, “Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.” And none of us want to be vulgar. We want to be financially prepared and savvy.

Outside of whatever your retirement plan is, it is also important to ensure you have set aside, in a separate account, an ample emergency backup supply. “Emergency” meaning for any one of a hundred things that might unexpectantly pop up and require a quick financial outlay. It will help you sleep better at night.

Retirement isn’t always all sunshine and happy days. Many retirees struggle immensely with the sudden and somewhat shocking change of lifestyle. They go from being busy and surrounded by colleagues and friends, to being at home looking for a new purpose whilst trying not to step on the toes of their partner. For some, the extreme change of lifestyle and the thought of being on a continuous holiday can be scary and depressing. However, it should be thought of as a new opportunity to work on relationships, invest in travelling, both inward and outwards, and to learn new skills.

Nowadays, many post-retirees are creating projects to generate new income as well as keeping their minds sane and boosting their overall quality of life and health. This can also help to improve your self-worth and the relationships you hold dear. It doesn’t mean you have to work from 8 to 8. It can just be involvement in projects that help to provide a balanced life.

When it comes to retiring, there’s a dirty word we all must know and understand: inflation. As Sam Ewing said, “Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for a ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair.” When we are working, salaries are supposed to keep up with inflation. However, when the salary stops and you’re living off savings, inflation is like an armed robber. There are now online inflation planners which can quickly calculate both pessimistic and optimistic inflation rates and help you formulate what to expect living, household and medical costs to be in future years.

Lastly, I would suggest having a pool of money that you leave untouched and allowed to grow, until you need it later in retirement to help offset increasing expenses. If you have income from property, this is great because it more or less keeps up with inflation rates. Otherwise, consider some inflation-protected security investments – a balanced mix of stocks, bonds, short-term investments, at different levels of risk and potential growth. Considering all options and forming a good plan is something I can help each client with.

Retirement doesn’t have to be scary. If you’d like to discuss any aspects of financial planning for your retirement, please email me for a complementary face to face meeting.

The Many Benefits of a Financial Adviser

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 3rd April 2019

03.04.19

by Jannah Britt-Green

It might seem obvious to some, but when it comes to the genuine benefits of having a financial adviser, many people are still in the dark. Some people hold certain ideas or common misconceptions, which hinder them from receiving valuable advice and help with managing their financial life. Namely, people struggle to trust someone else with their money and they believe they will have to pay the financial adviser for their services.

When it comes to trusting someone else with our money and investments, yes – it is a chance we’re each taking. But if you find a good financial adviser, you can trust that they sincerely have your best interests at heart, because they will only gain if you gain. They are educated and experienced at helping clients to come up with an effective plan – a financial philosophy if you like – for choosing wisely and preparing for tomorrow. They also have the objectivity we lack when trying to make financial decisions. They aren’t bound by the emotional ties we have with our money and they understand the complexities of mortgages, investments taxes and laws, so they can help us make better informed decisions without so much stress.

Then comes the assumption that we will have to pay a financial adviser. This is most likely due to the fact that no one believes any good service – especially one wherein you could make money – could possibly come without a price tag. Not only is this untrue, but having a financial adviser can actually SAVE money. This is because financial advisers don’t make money from their clients directly. Instead, they get a cut from the insurance / investment / mortgage companies for bringing your business to them. Even better is that, due to the relationship the financial advisors build with these financial institutions, they by and large get a better deal than clients would receive if they were to try to get the same service on their own. I have tried and tested this out myself by looking into getting the same insurance through the same company on my own and found that I could not find the same deal that my financial adviser was getting me. From this point on, I was convinced.

Recently I interviewed IFA Chris Burke, an experienced financial adviser who has been living in Spain over the past decade, to ask him what he believes are the main ways he has helped and continues to benefit his clients.

The Truth
Like any profession, we as Financial Advisers know what works and what doesn’t, and how well it works. To be a good financial adviser, you have to ask yourself, ‘Is this what I would do?’ or maybe even more telling, ‘Is this what I would recommend my mum to do?’

Honesty
Always tell the truth, even if that means telling them we can’t benefit them at that time. I will always use my experience to help people make the best decisions for them and help them do it, if they desire my services. What we do isn’t for everyone and their circumstances, but it might be one day.
Good Tips/Hints/Advice

People usually come to me for a meeting to see how I might be able to help them, but if occasionally someone isn’t sure whether it’s worth the visit, I will always confirm ‘You will take something beneficial from the meeting; knowledge, advice or a good contact; like a recommended Tax Adviser, or how to top up your UK National Insurance contributions at a discount, there is always something’. And you can continue to receive my advice, free of charge, by subscribing to my newsletter: Chris Burkes Newsletter

Grow Clients Monies/Pensions
If it’s not working, most clients won’t stay with you for long, especially if other solutions/the stock markets are indicating it should be working. Therefore, we continually keep up/outperform these as much as we can. We as advisers invest our monies/pensions where we recommend clients to, which for me is the biggest testimony.

Ongoing Advice/Knowledge
There is no point in having a ‘leaky bucket’, that is to say making client’s money grow but not optimising their tax situation. We are always informing, giving our clients knowledge on the best way to mitigate this and who can help them do it.

Due Diligence
We don’t always get it right, but listening to the experts whom we hold in high regard helps us to get it ‘more right than most’. And we are continually reviewing solutions to find new ways to help clients more.

The Beckham Law 2019

By Chris Burke
This article is published on: 8th March 2019

08.03.19

*UPDATED 1st January 2020

Also originally known as ‘The Special Displaced Workers Regime’, The Beckham Law has been in place since it was passed by Spanish Tax decree in 2005. The Law has undergone two reforms/changes since its inception (2010 and 2015) and was originally open to all foreign workers living in Spain adhering to certain conditions.

Why was it brought in?
In essence, it was designed to attract brains, talent and wealth from all over the world, encouraging high earners to become Tax Resident in Spain (spending more than 183 days a year living there) and thus pay 24% income tax (IRPF), as opposed to rising up to 43% (or higher in certain circumstances). It was given its name by one of the first high profile sports people to use it, David Beckham, when he signed for Real Madrid.

Who can take advantage of it?
The main criteria to be eligible for the Beckham Rule are:

You must not have been a Spanish resident in the last 10 years when applying
You must be employed by a Spanish company, or a non Spanish company but with a permanent office here in Spain (You can be a director of a company but hold no more than 25% of the shares)
The rule can be used for the remaining Tax year you start in, and the following five
The application MUST be made within 6 months of starting your employment in Spain
You have to be resident in Spain and also have at least 85% of your work interests there

Reforms/Changes
The Law became infamous and a perfect fit for Spanish football clubs to buy some of the best well known footballers in the world, since the player’s tax would be much lower than in other countries. However, in 2010 the law was changed to address this popularity with high earning footballers, and a rule was brought in to limit the annual earnings applicable to €600,000, three years after David Beckham had left Spain.

Then, in 2015 they went one step further and completely excluded professional athletes from applying for this. However, those already on a contract were not affected. They also removed the limit of €600,000, but any income over that level is now taxed at 45%. Note that any capital gains would adhere to the current rules of 19%, 21% and 23% respectively (not applicable for the first €6,000).

Other Major Benefits
Critically, one of the major benefits of this rule is that under it, you do not pay taxes on any gains outside of Spain. So if you sell an asset with a taxable gain, such as a business or property in another country, you could make a considerable saving.

Moving on from this and to a more regular scenario, you would not pay tax on any property rental income, bank account interest, investments or savings in another country.

You would also not be required to submit certain other annual reports such as the ‘Modelo 720 Overseas Assets declaration’ during this period of time.

Why you might not want to apply for the Beckham Rule
There is no minimum annual earnings to apply, however you do not receive any personal income allowances, thus a general rule of thumb is that earning over €60,000 might make it worthwhile for you to apply.

The other reason you might not want to apply is that if the country you are from has a less favourable tax rate, then paying capital gains tax in Spain could be better.

If you have any questions regarding this, or would like to discuss applying for it or your personal situation, please contact us through the form below:
Source GM Tax Consultancy, Barcelona