My colleague, Sue Regan, in her last article, gave details of a number of tax changes currently being debated in Parliament and which are expected to come into force by the end of the year. On a positive note, wealth tax (Impot de Solidarite sur la Fortune) is to be abolished, to be replaced by a tax on the value of property (Impot sur la Fortune Immobilier) or IFI. This can have real benefit to those with investments outside of property.
Less positive is the intention to abolish taper relief on capital gains from the sale of shares, which includes equity investment funds. This can have serious connotations for those investors holding investment portfolios outside of an Assurance Vie. Portfolios held within equity Individual Savings Accounts (ISA’s) in the UK, for example, will be affected. For UK residents, ISA’s represent an excellent savings and investment vehicle, with ‘income’ drawn from the ISA tax free in the hands of the investor. Growth in the investment attract no capital gains tax charge, irrespective of whether the gains are extracted or allowed to roll up within the ISA.
In the hands of a French tax resident though, ISA’s don’t enjoy any of the tax benefits UK residents take for granted. It is as if the ISA wrapper doesn’t exist. Instead, in France, taper relief is granted on gains made from equities (shares) where the holding is greater than two years. Where shares have been held for two years and up to eight years, the relief is 50%; after eight years the relief rises to 65% under the current system. Crucially, this relief also applies to collective investments where a minimum of 75% is invested in equities.
If you then factor in the fact that all gains are calculated in euros, shares and equity collectives in the UK held for a long time can be further reduced because the purchase price will be converted into euros using the exchange rate on the day of purchase. Likewise, the euro value is calculated on the day of sale. With the value of sterling currently low, the amount of any gain can therefore be further reduced if the exchange rate on the day of purchase is higher than the rate on the sale date.
All of this means that if you are resident in France, holding on to stocks and shares ISA’s in the UK, it really is time you thought about cashing them in, reinvesting the proceeds in the far more tax efficient Assurance Vie. Time really is of the essence.
If you feel you could be affected by this, or have personal or financial circumstances that you feel may benefit from a financial planning review, please contact me direct on the number below. You can also contact me by email at derek.winsland@spectrum-ifa.com or call our office in Limoux to make an appointment. Alternatively, I conduct a drop-in clinic most Fridays (holidays excepting), when you can pop in to speak to me. Our office telephone number is 04 68 31 14 10.