International Financial Planning
Financial Planning Guides
670 in-depth guides covering all aspects of international financial planning for UK expats and globally mobile investors — from tax and estate planning to offshore investment structures and currency strategy.
Tax Planning
Residence, domicile, offshore structures, and cross-border tax efficiency for internationally mobile individuals.
Cross-Border Employment: Tax and NI Implications for Seconded Workers
Seconding employees internationally triggers complex multi-jurisdiction obligations for both employer and employee — from PAYE and NIC to host-country withholding and social security coordination.
Read guide →Director Remuneration Strategies for Internationally Mobile Company Owners
The most tax-efficient director remuneration strategy depends on the jurisdictions involved, the director's residency status and their longer-term goals — what works in the UK may be entirely different from what is optimal after relocating to the UAE or Cyprus.
Read guide →Domicile Planning: A Strategic Guide for the Internationally Mobile
Domicile was for decades the dividing line for UK inheritance tax — but from 6 April 2025 the UK moved to a residence-based IHT system. This guide explains how domicile worked, why it still matters for general law, and how the long-term residence test now determines worldwide IHT exposure.
Read guide →Double Tax Treaties for Expats: A Practical Guide
Double tax treaties prevent you paying tax twice on the same income — but navigating them requires understanding tie-breaker rules, treaty residency, and how to claim relief.
Read guide →Double Tax Treaties: The Complete Guide for International Investors
Double tax treaties allocate taxing rights between countries and can reduce withholding taxes on cross-border income. This guide explains how they work, how to use them, and the common misunderstandings that cost investors money.
Read guide →Double Taxation Treaty Planning: Strategies for Internationally Mobile Investors
A well-chosen jurisdiction with an extensive treaty network can significantly reduce withholding taxes on investment income and gains for internationally mobile investors — but BEPS has tightened the rules.
Read guide →Dual Contracts of Employment: Planning for UK and Overseas Income
Dual employment contracts — one for UK duties, one for overseas duties — were once a mainstream non-dom planning tool but are now tightly restricted; understanding the current rules prevents costly errors.
Read guide →Employee Share Schemes When Leaving the UK or Living Abroad
Leaving the UK with unvested share options or RSUs triggers complex tax rules across multiple jurisdictions. Understanding the UK time-apportionment principles and the treatment in your new country of residence is essential before you depart.
Read guide →Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) for Internationally Mobile Investors
A detailed guide to EIS tax reliefs, qualifying conditions, and the specific considerations for internationally mobile and non-UK-resident investors.
Read guide →Enterprise Investment Scheme Planning: EIS for Financial Advisers and Investors
A comprehensive guide to EIS financial planning: income tax relief, CGT deferral, Business Relief for IHT, fund versus direct, and how EIS fits into a HNW portfolio strategy.
Read guide →FATCA and CRS Reporting: What Every Internationally Mobile Investor Needs to Know
FATCA and the OECD Common Reporting Standard mean that financial account information is now automatically shared between over 100 countries — there is no meaningful offshore secrecy from tax authorities.
Read guide →Family Investment Companies: A Guide for Internationally Mobile HNW Individuals
A Family Investment Company can be a tax-efficient vehicle for holding and growing family wealth across generations — but the structure must be carefully designed.
Read guide →Financial Planning for BNO Visa Holders: Hong Kongers Arriving in the UK
Financial planning for Hong Kongers arriving on BNO visas: UK tax residence, the FIG regime for overseas income in the first four years, MPF pension options, property purchase, banking, and cultural financial differences.
Read guide →Financial Planning for US Persons Living Abroad: Key Issues and Considerations
US citizens and permanent residents face unique tax obligations wherever they live in the world — making specialist financial planning essential for Americans abroad.
Read guide →Gift Holdover Relief: Deferring CGT on Gifts of Business Assets and Shares
Gift holdover relief under s.165 and s.260 TCGA allows donors to defer CGT when making gifts of qualifying business assets or assets subject to an IHT charge. This guide covers qualifying conditions, the interaction with IHT, gifts to trusts, and common pitfalls.
Read guide →Gifts with Reservation of Benefit: IHT Traps and How to Avoid Them
A gift that fails the full exclusion test remains in the donor's estate for IHT purposes, no matter how many years have passed. This guide explains the gifts with reservation of benefit rules, the pre-owned assets tax alternative charge, and how equity release schemes and leaseback arrangements interact with this legislation.
Read guide →HMRC Advance Clearance Applications: When and How to Apply
A practical guide to HMRC advance clearance: transaction in securities, EMI valuation, EIS/SEIS advance assurance, QROPS clearance, DOTAS disclosure, how to apply, response times, and what happens if HMRC refuses.
Read guide →HMRC Investigations and the High Net Worth Unit: What Wealthy Taxpayers Need to Know
HMRC dedicates specialist resources to investigating the wealthiest UK taxpayers. This guide explains how HMRC's High Net Worth Unit operates, the Connect data-matching system, the two codes of practice for serious cases, and how to protect your position if HMRC opens an enquiry.
Read guide →HMRC's Arm's Length Requirement for Family Transactions
How HMRC applies the arm's length principle to transactions between connected family members: CGT connected persons rules, transfer pricing in family businesses, gifts with strings, DOTAS, and penalties.
Read guide →Holding Company Structures: A Guide for Internationally Mobile Investors and Business Owners
A well-structured holding company in the right jurisdiction can reduce withholding taxes, protect assets, and facilitate succession — but post-BEPS, substance is non-negotiable.
Read guide →How to Genuinely Change Your UK Domicile
UK domicile determines worldwide IHT exposure and affects excluded property trust eligibility. Genuinely changing domicile requires demonstrated intention to permanently settle abroad — supported by actions, not just words. The April 2025 reforms changed but did not eliminate the importance of domicile.
Read guide →IHT Planning for Former Non-Doms Under the 2025 Regime
The April 2025 reforms ended the remittance basis and replaced the old domicile-based IHT regime with a residence-based test. Long-term UK residents now face a 10-year IHT tail after leaving the UK. This guide covers the new rules, the trust protection window that has closed, the rebasing opportunity, and the transitional position for excluded property trusts.
Read guide →ISAs and Non-UK Residents: Rules, Traps, and Alternatives
Becoming non-UK resident does not close your ISA — but it does stop you making new contributions. Understanding the rules before you leave the UK can save significant tax over years of living abroad.
Read guide →International Tax Residence Planning: Choosing and Managing Where You Pay Tax
Choosing where you pay tax is one of the most consequential decisions an internationally mobile individual makes — and getting it wrong, or doing it half-heartedly, can be costly.
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Our guides provide the framework — but every expat's financial position is different. Book a free review with one of our international financial planners to get advice specific to your situation.