Spanish Tax Reforms
By John Hayward
This article is published on: 29th September 2014
The latest news we have, is that there are likely to be significant cuts in income tax in the election year of 2015. The average reduction in Spanish income tax will be 12.5%, and 72% of those earning up to €24,000 will be as much as 23.5% better off, according to the Hacienda. In addition, the bands of tax are being reduced to 5 from 7.
Taxes on savings are also being reduced over the next 2 years, to the levels we saw in 2011. In addition, there are other tax benefits for families and small and medium-sized companies
Full details can be found by visiting this link to the Hacienda´s website http://bit.ly/1yDs915.
These are proposals at this stage and are subject to possible changes before the end of the year. However, it is clear that there will be changes.
As a guide, here are the existing rates and the proposed new rates.
In the meantime, if you would like ideas of how to reduce Spanish Income and Savings Tax, look at ways of increasing your income in a low-risk environment, or you would simply like to review your overall financial position, contact me below.
Tax Residency in Italy
By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 22nd September 2014
Tax Residency is always one of those issues that raises it head in batches, from time to time.
So, I thought I should clarify the matter again.
Residency determines where you may or may not be located for tax purposes.
The notion that you can be resident in Italy but pay tax elsewhere is an outdated notion and one that should be forgotten.
RESIDENCY IS A MATTER OF FACT AND NOT ONE OF CHOICE.
Here are the facts as determined by Section 2 of the Italian Income Tax Code:
An individual is considered resident for tax purposes in Italy if, for most of the calendar year (183 days), you are:
* registered with the Registry of the Resident Population (Anagrafe).
* resident or domiciled in the territory of the Italian state, as defined by Section 43 of the Italian Civil code.
And, according to Section 43 of the Italian Civil code:
* Your place of residence is the place where you, the individual, have your habitual abode.
* your place of domicile is your principal place of business and social/family interests.
Employment income is considered ‘produced’ in Italy if the work activity (i.e. business) is performed on Italian territory (this also means internet activity that is carried out in Italy, even if the focus of the internet activity is in another country).
Italy has been quite vocal about trying to clamp down on people who are claiming residency in Italy (and using public services) but not submitting tax returns, and also those who are operating business activities in Italy but claiming residency for themselves, or the business, elsewhere.
In reality it would be hard for the authorities to track them down, but with the open exchange of information agreements between Italy, UK, Germany, France, Spain and now the USA, it is hard to imagine how computers will not, before long, be merely churning out lists of wrongdoers every week.
The better way is to plan your way around your residency and your respective tax authorities.
Make sure you get your residency options right first time. By this, I mean talk to the people who understand these issues, plan carefully in advance of taking residency in Italy or elsewhere and, ensure that you take advantage of the tax breaks available to you. Failing to do so can create burdensome Italian administrative headaches after the event.
In any case, we should remember the words of Benjamin Franklin who once said
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.
If you have any questions regarding your own residency or if you would like to try and plan your way around your residency in a more tax efficient manner then you can contact me.
Are you a resident in Italy and what taxes apply to you?
By Gareth Horsfall
This article is published on: 18th September 2014
Tax List
Not a week goes by these days, where I am not contacted by someone who has a question about their residency in Italy, and what that means for them fiscally. Either by people who are about to move to Italy or others who have already been living here for some time and want to become ‘in regola’.
The conversation then naturally flows into the minutiae of exactly what are the taxes that need to be paid in Italy.
So, following on from last week’s E-zine about residency and how it is actually defined, I thought I would write and explain those pesky taxes that apply to expats who have income being paid and/or assets held in other countries. I will repeat this towards the end of the year when some of you may be finalising your tax positions for 2014, but it may act as a good guide for those who are thinking about, or in the process of, doing something about their Italian tax returns for 2014.
Where to start?
Well, firstly I start by confirming that, as a resident in Italy, you are subject to taxation on your worldwide assets and income (with some exceptions). That means that if you are a resident in Italy (see my blog post RESIDENT EVIL for details of residency), then you are required to declare your assets and income, wherever they might be located or generated in the world.
TAX ON INCOME
If you are in receipt of a pension income, for example, and it is being paid from a private pension provider overseas or a state pension, then that income has to be declared on your Italian tax return (nb. different rules apply to Government service pensions, where tax is generally deducted at source in the country of origin and there is no further requirement to report the income in Italy). If tax is deducted at source in the country of origin, the income must still be declared again in Italy. A tax credit will be given for the amount of tax paid in the country of origin (assuming that country has a double taxation agreement with Italy), but any difference between the tax rates in the country of origin and Italy will have to be paid.
It is a similar picture for income, generated from employment. This is a slightly more complicated issue that depends on many factors and, therefore, I shall not dwell on it here. If you have any questions in this area you can contact me on the details at the bottom of this page.
INVESTMENT INCOME AND CAPITAL GAINS
This is one area where Italy excels above other countries, in that its system of calculation is very simple. As of 1st July 2014, interest from savings, income from investments in the form of dividends and other income payments are taxed at a flat 26%. Capital gains tax is the same rate of 26%.
** Interest from Italian Government Bonds and Government Bonds from ‘white list’ countries is still taxed at 12.5% rather than 26%, as detailed above. This is another quirk of Italian tax law as this means it is more convenient, from a tax position, to invest in Government Bonds in Pakistan or Kazakhstan, than it is to buy corporate Bonds from Italian corporate giants ENI or Unicredit. **
PROPERTY OVERSEAS
Property which is located overseas is taxed in 2 ways. Firstly, there is the tax on the income and, secondly, a tax on the value of the property itself.
- Income from property overseas.
Unlike rental property located in Italy, which is taxed at the rate of approx 23% depending on what kind of rental you operate, overseas income from property is added to your other income for the year and taxed at your highest rate of income tax.
There is one advantage to this, in that tax in the country of origin has to be applied to the income in the first instance. Therefore, the net income (after expenses) in the country of origin is added to your other income in Italy for the year. This can be quite useful if the property/ies are investment properties, the expenses are high, the country of origin allows multiple deductions and the net income position is low. However, as I have written before, if you are reliant on the income to live on, then a high net income position (before declaration in Italy) can result in a much lower net amount (after Italian tax) depending on the amount of other income you receive each year. Once your total income for the year moves above €28,000 you enter into the punishing 38% tax bracket in Italy.
This can prove to be a tax INEFFICIENT income-stream for those hoping to live in Italy by relying on income from property overseas.
- The other tax is on the value of the property itself, which is 0.76% of the value.
However, value must be defined in this instance. For EU based properties, the value is the Italian cadastral equivalent. In the UK (the area I am most familiar with), that would be the council tax value NOT the market value. You will find that the market value will, in most cases, be more than the cadastral equivalent value.
In properties located outside the EU, the value for tax purposes is defined as the market value of the property ONLY where evidence cannot be provided of the purchase value of the property, in which case this would be used instead.
TAXES ON ASSETS
It would not be right that other assets escaped Scot free! (Talking of Scots, it will be interesting to see how the markets react tomorrow to the possible Independence vote of Scotland. I will be watching and reporting on events depending on the outcome)
BANK ACCOUNTS AND DEPOSITS
A very simple to understand and acceptable €34.20 per annum is applied to each bank account or deposit account that you own overseas with an ‘average’ balance of €10,000 in it, each calendar year. This includes fixed deposits, current accounts, short term cash deposits, CD’s etc. The charge is the equivalent of the ‘bollo’ which is applied to all Italian bank accounts each year.
Lastly, we have the charge on other foreign-owned assets (IVAFE). This covers shares, bonds, funds, portfolio assets or most other types of assets that you may hold. The tax on these is 0.2% per annum, based on the valuation as of 31st December.
This guide is only meant to be a broad outline of the taxes that affect most expats. It is not a full tax list and does not take into account personal circusmstances. It is intended to be a guideline to help you make the right decisions. My experience over the last 4 years has been, in most cases, that expats will end up paying more by being resident in Italy (which most seem to accept as OK) but, there are often a number of financial planning opportunities, to generate capital in more effective ways, that people are NOT taking advantage of.
If we haven’t discussed these already or if you would like an initial chat to discover whether any of those opportunities are open to you then you can contact me on the email address below or I can be reached on cell: 333 6492356. There are no fees for consultations.
Investments and investment risk
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 16th September 2014
As I am writing this article, the hot topic of the moment is of course the Scottish Referendum on Independence. The polls are swinging from one direction to the other, but only by a small margin between the ‘yes’ and the ‘no’ camps. The final result will most likely be very close.
Even the Queen has uncharacteristically got a little involved in the politics, by expressing her hope to a well-wisher in Scotland that people will think very carefully about the future. Whatever the result of the referendum, it is clear that the United Kingdom will change.
What will happen to investment markets if Scotland votes yes? Well the wider world outside of Scotland seems to have woken up to what is actually happening in Scotland. Sterling has weakened amidst the uncertainty of the outcome, but beyond this, I am not bold enough to forecast any further effect on markets. Like any other investment risk, it needs to be managed.
On this subject, The Spectrum IFA Group has produced a Guide to Investment Risk. This has been written in plain, no nonsense, down-to-earth English and covers a range of assets classes and strategies. The individual articles included in the Guide can be found on our website at: spectrum-ifa.com/spectrums-guide-to-investment-risk/
Alternatively, if you would like to receive a full copy of this Guide, please contact me.
We are also taking bookings for our Autumn client seminar – “Le Tour de Finance – Bringing Experts to Expats”. Our industry experts will be presenting updates and outlooks on a broad range of subjects, including:
- Financial Markets
- Assurance Vie
- Pensions/QROPS
- Structured Investments
- French Tax issues
- Currency Exchange
Places for our seminars are limited and must be reserved, in advance. So if you would like to attend the event, please contact me as soon as possible. The date for the local seminar is
Friday, 10th October 2014 at the Domaine Gayda, 11300 Brugairolles.
Alternatively, if you are reading this further afield, you may be interested in attending one of our other events:
- Wednesday, 8th October – St Endréol, 83920, La Motte, the Var.
- Thursday, 9th October – Chateau La Coste, 13610, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade.
For full details of all venues can be found on our website at spectrum-ifa.com/seminars
If you cannot attend one of our seminars and you would anyway like to have a confidential discussion about any aspect of financial and/or inheritance planning, please contact me either by e-mail at daphne.foulkes@spectrum-ifa.com or by telephone on 04 68 20 30 17.
The above outline is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute advice or a recommendation from The Spectrum IFA Group to take any particular action on the subject of investment of financial assets or on the mitigation of taxes.
The Spectrum IFA Group advisers do not charge any fees directly to clients for their time or for advice given, as can be seen from our Client Charter at spectrum-ifa.com/spectrum-ifa-client-charter
Scottish Independence: A major faultline exposed in the UK?
By David Hattersley
This article is published on: 15th September 2014
Whatever the outcome of the referendum on September 18th, the willingness of people to take risks to free themselves from Centralised Government (ie. in this case, Westminster) has exposed the growing dissatisfaction with large centrally controlled government. This would still apply to the UK, even without Scotland. No doubt there will be intense negotiations over the coming months in relation to the outcome of the referendum.
With the UK elections due soon, this could give rise to the same dissatisfaction in the UK, particularly if it is seen that the Scots get greater freedom. As a result, the UKIP could gain some seats based on their anti-EU stance, or there could be a change in the balance of power in key seats. The potential then arises of a coalition, but how will that be formatted? Will there then be a referendum on an exit from the EU?
So, where does this leave investors? The UK has been seen as a “safe haven“ for investors and this is bound to change, at the very least just in perception. Markets do not like uncertainty and this inevitably leads to greater volatility. Currency, bonds, gilts, property and equities will all be affected.
A globally diversified portfolio, in a wide range of asset classes, will help spread the risk compared to a UK-biased selection. This is where Independent International Financial Advice is vital! Protection of wealth can only be achieved where all asset classes are considered as part of a portfolio.
CGT and social charges applied to rental income and investments in France
By Amanda Johnson
This article is published on: 14th September 2014
I often get asked to explain how French Capital Gains Tax is applied and when & if they can expect social charges to be levied on their investments. These are two very interesting areas for expats:
Capital Gains tax
A capital gain arises when an asset has been sold for more than it was originally bought for. For example if you originally invested £50,000 in a unit trust and now sell it for £75,000. Your gain is £25,000 and therefore has a potential liability for Capital Gains Tax. Different levels of relief apply depending on how long you have held this investment, so not all of the gain is subject to tax.
Capital Gains Tax is also due is when a house is sold for profit which isn’t your primary residence. You may live in France permanently in rental property however, if you have sold your UK home and made a profit, this profit is subject to Capital Gains Tax in France. This applies even if it is the only property you own. Again there are different levels of tax relief depending on how long you have owned the property.
There are tax efficient investments and savings for expats that shelter your liability to capital gains and now you are living in France you should be taking advantage of them.
Social Charges
Social Charges are applied to all income, irrespective of where it is earned. There are as several exceptions to this, namely Government & UK State Pensions. If you rent out property in the UK, although you may pay your income tax in the UK you will have to pay Social Charges on the income in France. Social Charges also apply if you receive an income from savings, investments or a private pension.
There is a double taxation treaty in place which means you won’t pay income tax twice when you complete your tax return here in France but income tax should not be confused with Social Charges.
Social Charges can also be charged on certain Assurance Vies’ and this depends on the type of fund that you are invested in. If your Assurance Vie is invested in a Fonds en Euros, where growth is physically applied periodically, social charges will be due. This is not the case on several other Assurance Vie options, where social charges are only levied once a withdrawal is made & only apply to the gain proportion of the withdrawn amount.
If you have existing investments whether in France or in the UK it is worth contacting me to chat about the most tax efficient way to hold your savings and keep the tax you pay to a minimum.
Whether you want to register for our newsletter, attend one of our road shows or speak to me directly, please contact me below and & I will be glad to help you. We do not charge for reviews, reports or recommendations we provide.
Making a Will in Switzerland
By Chris Eaborn
This article is published on: 12th September 2014
Wills in Switzerland
Swiss Law
As a general rule, the Estate of anyone residing in Switzerland is governed by Swiss material law, especially by the relevant provisions of the Swiss Civil Code, which definitely apply in the absence of a Will, notwithstanding the deceased’s citizenship, personal status or religion.
Swiss law, which was influenced by the Napoleonic Code, provides for various solutions, either mandatory or optional, and includes the so-called rules of “forced heirship” – according to which some heirs (the spouse, the children and, in some cases, the parents of the deceased) are in any event entitled to a minimum portion of the Estate (similar rules apply in most countries on the continent and in Scotland).
Choice of Law
According to the Swiss Federal Law on Private International Law, foreign residents in Switzerland may, by making a Will, direct that their Estate be governed by the law of their country of origin and, thus, avoid all or some of the rules set by Swiss law.
This choice of law (that is not permitted in the event of double citizenship including Swiss citizenship) does not affect the jurisdiction of the Swiss authorities and, depending on the deceased’s Canton of residence, inheritance tax must still be paid in Switzerland (taking into consideration the deceased’s Estate on a worldwide basis).
As regards American citizens, it may be wise to specify the law of the relevant US State (with which they have some connections, e.g. California), while Brits should refer to “English law” (or “Scottish law” for the Scots) rather than UK or British law since it does not exist as such.
Making a Will
If made in Switzerland, the Will must have the form prescribed by Swiss law. As a rule, it must either be entirely handwritten, dated and signed by the “Testator”, or made before a Swiss Notary Public (where the Will is actually drafted by the Notary and signed by the Testator in the presence of two witnesses who are often the Notary’s assistants).
Typed Wills or so-called “joint” Wills (one single Will made by two people) are prohibited and void.
Handwritten Wills may be drafted in any language, while Wills made before a Notary Public are usually in the local official language (i.e. in French in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, such as Geneva or Vaud).
Although it is not legally required in Switzerland, when a handwritten Will may predictably need, at some point, to be proven in the US, it is worth asking two witnesses to certify the Will at the time it is signed by the Testator, as this would be expected by a US probate Court.
Making a Will before a Notary Public is especially advisable when the mental capacity of the person making the Will could later be questioned (due to illness, age, potential influence of other people, etc.).
Usually, Wills made with the assistance of a Notary Public are kept by the latter who must send them to the competent local Court or authority upon the testators’ death. When Wills are made privately, it is wise to leave them in some place where they will be found easily, but they can be lost or destroyed. It goes without saying that any Will may, at the Testator’s discretion, be changed, amended, replaced or cancelled at any time by their authors and mere photocopies are not effective.
Appointment of an Executor
Under Swiss law, when there is no Will, the Estate is usually handled by the heirs (who must act jointly).
An Executor (or more than one) may however be appointed by Will and, upon the Testator’s death, will be required by the competent local Court (the Judge of the Peace in Geneva and Vaud) to accept this mission. The Will may include some specific instructions to the Executor who is generally entitled to deal with the Estate without any restriction.
The appointment of an Executor in a Will (and a possible Successor Executor – contingent in the event of the death or incapacity of the first one) is recommended when some assets are held abroad (especially in the US, in the UK or in other common law jurisdictions), when some of the heirs are under 18 years of age or when the situation may prove complex for some other reasons.
Where no Executor was appointed, the local Court may, under some circumstances, appoint an Administrator to take care of the Estate and to protect the heirs’ interests, especially if they are not all known.
Probate Process
Anyone finding a deceased’s Will in Switzerland must send it to the local authorities. Probate proceedings include the notification of a copy of the Will to all the heirs and beneficiaries and, depending on the circumstances, to any relatives possibly entitled to a portion of the Estate.
If the heirs suspect that the deceased was insolvent, they may reject the inheritance within 90 days. Alternatively, they may, within 30 days, apply with the local Court for a formal inventory to be drawn up (at their own expenses) and only accept the inheritance accordingly.
When the heirs accept (even tacitly) the inheritance, they immediately become the successors of the deceased for all the Estate assets and liabilities. They must act jointly and they are severally responsible for the deceased’s debts and obligations (including outstanding contributions or taxes owed in connection with undeclared assets).
Usually, when the deceased was a foreign national, Swiss Courts require that the heirs submit a formal statement to be issued by a Notary Public, in accordance with information that must be given by two witnesses who have no interest in the Estate and who must confirm the deceased’s family status, along with a list of all relatives who may be entitled to the Estate. In the event of any doubt or if no one is able to provide the requested information, the Court may order that a formal notice be published in the official gazette, allowing any potential heir to challenge the Will within 1 year.
In some cases, the heirs also have to submit a legal opinion confirming the solution resulting from the application of some foreign rules (if selected in the Will) that are sometimes regarded as rather “exotic”.
Once the situation is clarified (and, where applicable, after a fiscal inventory is filed and inheritance tax paid), the Court issues a Certificate of Inheritance naming the heirs and allowing them to fully access the Estate assets and arrange for these to be distributed amongst them.
IN SHORT:
- Non-Swiss can (should) ask for their Estate to be governed by the law of their home country and state the country (i.e. will therefore avoid Napoleonic Code).
- They must clearly state in the Will that this is what they want to do, g. “I direct that my Estate shall be governed by *** law”.
- If it is not made before a Notary Public, the Will must be handwritten and married couple must write a Will each (so-called “joint-wills” are invalid in Switzerland).
- A handwritten Will does not have to be witnessed and it should be kept in a safe place.
- The appointment of an Executor (or more than one) should be considered.
- It is helpful to attach a list of worldwide assets such as the name of the bank, branch and account number in which accounts are held, details of life policies or any other assets, as well as the contact details of people who could inform the heirs (such as Attorney, Financial Advisor or Accountant).
Creating or Updating your Will / Estate Planning – The Right Questions
If you died today, how would your Estate be handled?
- Is there a Will and where is it?
- Which debts should be eliminated?
- Which assets should be sold (such as business or real estate)…
- … and which ones should be kept (such as heirlooms)?
- Who is to receive which assets (financial and sentimental)?
- Are there any distribution clauses (e.g. to give your watch to your son/daughter when they reach age 18)?
- Who is to take legal responsibility for any children under age 18?
- Who is to assist the heirs and to ensure that your instructions will be implemented?
Financial Planning
- Did you know that, if you are a US citizen, Swiss banks can be required to freeze your accounts until all US taxes are declared and paid, thus a joint account could be frozen?
- If a joint account holder passes away, the account can be frozen until Swiss taxes are cleared up, with the surviving spouse only able to present bills for living expenses to be paid.
- If a married couple has children and one of the parents dies without leaving a Will, the child/children are deemed to inherit 50% of the Estate and depending on the Canton, may have to pay Inheritance Tax. In the Canton of Vaud, children may however be “gifted” up to CHF 50’000 per year each – tax free.
Careful individual planning allows to identify and solve a number of issues like these.
We offer a free initial consultation should you wish to discuss these or other financial planning matters and should legal advice be required, we will work in conjunction with excellent English-speaking Attorneys and likewise have access to excellent English-speaking Accountants if pertinent.
This notice is for information purpose only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Any specific queries should be looked at individually with a professional advisor. This document may not be disseminated or published without written authority.
Buying property – the alternative options
By Peter Brooke
This article is published on: 10th September 2014
Having a real estate investment is often an excellent decision for any investor, but many don’t have the ability to own a complete house or apartment. They may not have enough capital to buy the property outright, fund a deposit or receive enough income to be able to afford a loan.
For crew, it also can be difficult to get a mortgage due to the offshore nature of their income, though it is possible in some countries. So what other options might there be for having invested capital in the various property markets around the world?
Collective Investment Schemes:
There are many mutual funds that invest into bricks and mortar. Most of these buy into commercial property in developed markets, such as the UK or Europe. They are managed by professional managers and diversify across several commercial sectors, such as office buildings, retail stores (split between “out-of-town” and “high street”) and industrial complexes. They also always hold a portion of the portfolio in cash and property equities, i.e., the quoted shares of building contractors and the like. The cash and shares are to maintain liquidity so funds are available to investors who need to make a withdrawal without selling huge office blocks. The legal structure of property funds is very important to watch. During the financial crisis, several offshore funds (domiciled in the likes of the BVI and Cayman Islands) suspended and have since begun to liquidate, losing many investors their money; some are still suspended. At the same time, there were no UK authorized property funds that suspended.
Fractional ownership:
Although this term has broadened in the last decade, it basically means owning parts of a property. It tends to be most popular in the residential sector and can cover the entire range of property, from distressed sales and repossessions to luxury property clubs. You’re the legal owner of a share in the property; therefore, your name will appear on the deed and you share in the property’s costs and profits and are legally liable. One unique system available is to own “bricks” of property. This is when a company buys real estate at a discount, renovates if necessary and then sells “bricks” for a proportional price. This system allows an investor to own many bricks in many different properties, thereby hugely diversifying their property exposure. Their share of the rent is paid to them (after any management costs), and they can sell their bricks on a specially designed marketplace. An example of a market maker in this sector would be ownbrix.com.
When buying real estate, it’s wise to understand all the legal and tax implications of owning it, as it’s physically located in a jurisdiction and liable to the taxes in that location. If in any doubt, get advice.
Quick tips when relocating to Switzerland
By Chris Eaborn
This article is published on: 3rd September 2014
House Contents Insurance and Civil Liability Insurance
It is cost-effective to insure your own possessions, as well as the act of damaging someone else’s property or person through a combined “RC Ménage” policy. The liability cover also covers you for accidental damage (not wear and tear, which you are not responsible for) to a rented property which can be helpful as landlords here are VERY strict about any damages when you eventually vacate your property. An average family household costs approximately CHF 300-500frs per year in total for the combined policy of Contents and Liability insurance, although this will differ depending on circumstances. Jewellery should be separately listed.
Fire/Natural Disaster Insurance
This applies only if you live in Canton of Vaud: you have to buy a “fire/natural damages” insurance policy through an agency called the ECA. This cover is not expensive but it is compulsory. Normally, you will be sent a questionnaire in French to complete a few weeks after you move in to your new home. In the interim you are NOT insured, therefore we strongly recommend that you take the initiative to enrol as soon as you move in. We can provide the simple enrolment forms in English for you and a full summary of cover in English. This policy costs approximately CHF 50-100frs a year.
Legal Insurance (“Protection Juridique”)
Attorneys are very expensive and local law is complicated. You can buy a very good insurance policy that pays your legal expenses if you are sued or wish to pursue another person/company (for example, a dispute with a neighbour, or with a service provider, or with your employer). Such a policy costs around CHF 350 per year for a whole family and covers you worldwide, including litigation concerning a driving incident and costs approximately CHF 200 for an individual per year. In addition, and if you prefer, you can exclude driving which makes it even less-expensive still. This insurance is highly recommended as Swiss law is complex, attorneys are expensive and even minor legal disputes, such as defending yourself against a driving offense, can be stressful and distracting if you are trying to handle them by yourself. In the event of major disputes, which could incur a huge cost along with expensive attorney fees, it allows you to choose a lawyer who speaks a language of your choice such as English.
Arriving to/Departing from your Rental Property
When you arrive, make sure you inform the landlord promptly of anything that is not working or that you did not see during the initial inspection or the landlord will expect you to pay for it. When you vacate a property there is a very strict inspection. You will have to have cleaned it to such a degree that they will check for dust in the extractor fans!! It is recommended to get a professional cleaning company to do this or you may have a long wrangle over your deposit and unwanted hassle at the close-out.
Rental Guarantee Insurance: If you do not wish to tie up, typically three months’ rent, you can have this released by taking out a rental deposit insurance. It costs around 5% of the rental deposit amount, per year, so for a CHF 10’000 deposit, you instead pay about 500frs per year.
In Case You Ever Have a Fire or Burglary – Video/Photo your possessions!
We strongly recommend you take a video of your house contents to act as an aide-memoire in case of a fire/burglary. If you were unfortunate enough to have a fire and a total loss of everything, imagine how difficult it would be to sit down and list “everything” right down to the smallest items. This video would also be hugely helpful to an insurance company as it would show that you did own all of the items you listed, even though you would not be expected to have receipts for absolutely everything you own (you could also include a scan of any receipts that you have for larger items such as jewellery/furniture). It will probably only take 15 minutes of your time to do this and you could upload the video to a Cloud storage service or place the disk drive in a bank safety deposit box or give it to a family member to store for you off premises from your home.
A home safe is also a great idea for storing financial papers and family photos on disk (it costs a few hundred francs for a good safe- go for as heavy a model as possible, preferably 100kg-200kg).
Driving
Car insurance: Please be aware that Swiss insurers are strict about reducing/dismissing claims for break-ins where something is left visibly in the car. We suggest that you never leave anything in plain view – lock it in the boot/trunk or in the glove-box (preferably with it locked).
Speed limits are VERY strictly policed here, and if you are caught at 30kph over the limit you face not a civil action but a criminal one – with a 3 months ban PLUS a fine of up to 20% of your salary – PLUS your car insurance premiums will go up. Better to know now as there is no lenience because you “did not know”!
Drink driving– Switzerland has a very low limit, and it is strictly enforced, so it is advisable to avoid alcohol or grab the train.
It is also the law that you drive with your headlights on all of the time.
For motorway driving you have to purchase a “Vignette” from any petrol station or Post Office and display it prominently in your car windscreen. The police enjoy random checks especially in February/March to try and catch people out who don’t have one!
Train
If you use the train more than a few times a year, buy a 50% discount card. The Half-Fare travel-card is available for 1, 2 or 3 years and allows you to buy 1st or 2nd class tickets for half the price.
Order your Half-Fare travel-card at your local station or on the Internet at SBB Ticket Shop.
The Half-Fare travel-card is valid for the entire Swiss public transport network, which covers a total of 26,800 kilometres. The map on their website gives details of the routes and public transport services included.
It costs CHF175 for one year, CHF 330 for 2 years and CHF 450 for 3 years. It also gives discounts on the Metro, buses and ferry-boats.
There is a special offer (as of January 2014) for 16 year olds, for a half-fare card for CHF 98frs.
Local-Amenities Guide In English
There is a great book called “Know It All Passport” which includes everything you need to know, in English, about local services and leisure amenities. This is a great resource to help settle you in, especially if your French is still a “work in progress”! www.knowitall.ch lists the outlets where you can buy it.
Groceries and Wine/Beer- ordered online- delivered to your door
www.leshop.ch is an online grocery order service (English available) for Migros, one of the largest and best supermarkets here. They provide excellent service, deliveries are normally very accurate and arrive in good shape. No more heavy shopping bags and check-out queues! Other grocery stores also offer this service.
Tax Returns
Everybody with income over CHF 120k is required to make an annual tax return. If your company does not provide access to an accounting firm to do this for you, we can introduce you to excellent local accountants who are English-speaking, not too expensive and will take the hassle of this from you.
If you earn less than CHF 120K, you should make a “Simplified Tax Return” as there are personalised deductions you can apply for that can’t have been taken into consideration at payroll level. For example, you can deduct credit/mortgage interest and you can deduct for contributing to the 3rd Pillar (mentioned later)….
Tax-Savings
You may be able to make additional back-payments into your company pension. Currently, this is up to 20% of your salary per year for 5 years, which will be fully tax-deductible. Additionally, in the event that you decide to stay in Switzerland and buy a house, this can be pledged as collateral to the bank, thus reducing the size of deposit that you need. We can help you understand the pros/cons of making back-payments.
“3rd Pillar”- this is a private pension which you control. It is totally separate from the company pension and is portable. You can invest CHF 560 per month (maximum CHF 6’739 per year and the amount increases slightly periodically). If you think you will be here for a while, this is a good idea, as both as a disciplined savings vehicle and to help reduce your taxes – and even possibly assist in buying an apartment/house. There are some very attractive products that offer excellent investment returns potential, with a guaranteed capital along with a minimum return every year, even if the investment markets go down! Plus, you benefit from the markets when they go up. Again, we can help you evaluate the various different options available and “what happens if?” scenarios. Products vary hugely in terms of cost/benefits so a comparison is highly advisable.
Buying a House
This typically requires a 20% deposit but it is now possible for Swiss and certain European nationals to obtain a 90% mortgage. Interest rates are extremely low (roughly 2% if you have a mix of variable and fixed rates) and mortgage interest is tax deductible. We recommend you consider buying only if you plan to be here at least 5 years or would be prepared to leave your capital locked-up and rent out the property if you leave Switzerland. This is simply because there are around 5% fees in buying (“Frais Notaires”) plus, if you sell, there are capital gains taxes and realtor sales commissions to pay. Therefore, it may not be a good investment in the very short term.
You can borrow to finance not only a main residence but also a secondary residence such as a ski chalet.
There are various types of mortgage on the market- if you would like information, again, we can assist you in choosing the right type of mortgage and setting it up with leading partner banks and insurance companies who offer home-loans and help you to set it up in the most tax-optimised way. We can also assist with mortgages in France and in other countries. Please contact me on the phone numbers or email address listed below.
Banking / Private Banking
We can refer you to a local personal banker who speaks English and will take care of “everything” for your everyday banking needs as well as to international banks who specialise in dealing with expatriates.
We have also negotiated exclusive conditions for top-end Private Banking. Again, you can contact me on the numbers and email address listed below.
Making or Updating Your Will (Testament)
If you are not Swiss, you should have a local Will or your Estate is very complicated because local Estate law is similar to France in that it is under the Napoleonic Code (forced-heirship rules), meaning that your money would not necessarily go where you want it to! Non-Swiss nationals have the right to nominate the law of their home country in the administration of their Estate. We can provide you with guidance to write your own Swiss Will, which is relatively simple and does not cost you anything.
Investment Planning
We can help you review any existing investments and pensions and advise you on the impact of your move to Switzerland, as well as about any savings/investment you may wish to make now that you will be Swiss resident. We are Independent and can choose from across the wide choice of institutions on the market. We also have access to structures where you can deal assets yourself, if you wish to.
In particular, we are specialists in finding savings/investment solutions for internationally-orientated clients who may have careers that move them around and who do not simply wish to accumulate small “pots” in each country in which they work.
Foreign Currency Transfers
If you have regular payments, perhaps for funding an overseas mortgage, or you move money to/from Swiss francs, than using your regular bank for this service can be extremely expensive. Margins are undisclosed and, typically, include a spread of 4-5% with even commission on top! This is even if you move money from, for example, a CHF account to a Euro account with the same bank! We can arrange a free account with a leading currency-transfer specialist company through which you can convert currency at institutional rates, saving significantly versus foreign currency transfers through your bank.
Helicopter Rescue Service (Rega)
Helicopter rescue may be covered by your health insurance. However, the service itself is privately funded, receiving no State aid and, if you become a patron (currently CHF 70 a year for a family or CHF 30 a year for an individual), all fees for their services are waived.
Below is a link explaining the benefits in English.
http://www.rega.ch/en/goenner/goennerbestimmungen.aspx
Health Information and Service Providers
The below link is an excellent resource for finding a doctor nearby, as well as general information in English.
http://www.health.ch/english/index.html
Although some of the information may seem a little overwhelming, once initial formalities have been taken care of, living in Switzerland is extremely straightforward. We hope that some of the information contained here is helpful and that you will agree it is a fantastic place to live!
We will be delighted to assist you both now and in the years to come, whether you remain here indefinitely or move around the world!
Please note that this document is intended for general information purposes only for private use. E&OE.
Le Tour de Finance returns this autumn
By Spectrum IFA
This article is published on: 2nd September 2014
After a very successful string of events earlier in the year, Le Tour de Finance is back during October 2014.
These previous events were great success, with large numbers attending all the events with fact filled sessions followed by an opportunity for an informal questions and answers session over complimentary refreshments and a buffet.
The relaxed and open forums are a chance to expand your knowledge of personal finance as an expat resident in France. The panel of speakers are experts in their respective fields and are there to answer questions you may have about protecting and strengthening your personal financial situation while a resident in France.
The Spectrum IFA Group is an European leader in professional personal financial advice and will be covering subjects such as; QROPS, pensions, tax advice, investments and wealth management, healthcare, and mortgages.
Le Tour de Finance is an excellent and relaxed forum in which you can get those important questions answered, plus mingle in a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere with other expat residents whilst enjoying a buffet lunch. The free sessions commence at 10.00 and will finish at 14.00.
- Wednesday, 8th October – St Endréol, 83920, La Motte, the Var.
- Thursday, 9th October – Chateau La Coste, 13610, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade.
- Friday, 10th October – Domaine Gayda, 11300 Brugairolles.
To book your place please click here
Le Tour de Finance – “Bringing Experts to Expats”.