Tips from the experts on strategic financial planning for living in Portugal. How taxation and residency work in Portugal, advice on estate planning and cross-border taxation, and how to align your financial planning and personal objectives for future security.

Blevins Franks, with offices in Loulé and Cascais, is a wealth management and cross-border tax consultancy, offering advice and guidelines to UK expats in Portugal. Each client's situation is unique, with individual objectives and constraints. Blevins Franks advisors work closely with their clients to find the solution best suited to each particular case.
 

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Strategic financial planning for 2022

By Dan Henderson, Partner, Blevins Franks
Did you make any New Year resolutions this year?  How are they going? Many of us start the year with a list of good intentions, but they often fall by the wayside.  Or perhaps you still plan to follow through but haven’t started yet.  If reviewing your financial planning was on your list, do make sure you get to it at some point to check your finances are on track to meet your needs and protect your family’s long-term financial security.  
A key reason to review your wealth management is to check it is all up to date. You need to establish whether any changes in tax rules, financial regulations or your own personal circumstances mean you should adjust your arrangements. However, to ensure everything is suitable for your life in Portugal, as well as your needs and goals, your review needs to go beyond this. 
 
The bigger picture
 
Many people only consider segments of their finances at a time. For example, they may have bought shares in companies they like or invested in funds recommended by an adviser years ago. They may speak to a tax accountant about Portuguese taxation and tax planning opportunities. Then they speak to a lawyer about setting up a Portuguese will. At some point they look at their pension funds and try and work out how best to access their retirement savings.
 
For a truly effective review, and to ensure it is suitable for your life in Portugal, consider how your tax planning, investments, pensions and estate planning work together. Here are some key considerations.
 
Residency and taxation
 
You should first make sure you know where you are resident for tax purposes, especially if you are new to Portugal or spend time in two countries. You then want to structure your investments and wealth in the most suitable way to minimise taxation – in Portugal, the UK and wherever you have financial interests – in way that still meets all your obligations.
 
Regardless of how effective your tax planning in the UK was, you pretty much need to start afresh in Portugal. What was tax-efficient in the UK is unlikely to be tax-efficient here. Make sure you explore the compliant opportunities available in Portugal to establish what would work for your situation and aims, and how much tax you could potentially save.
 
Estate planning
 
Do not leave estate planning to the final stage of financial planning. It is vital to review your estate planning when living in Portugal, as its succession regime works very differently to the UK.
 
Are you aware, for example, that Portugal’s ‘forced heirship’ rules could automatically pass a significant proportion of your worldwide estate to your direct family, whatever your intentions? This can have unwelcome consequences for certain families unless you plan ahead. You can specify in your will for the EU regulation ‘Brussels IV’ to apply relevant British law to your estate instead, but take care to understand your options and any tax implications.
 
Financial structuring for life in Portugal
 
Perhaps the key rule for financial planning is that it must be specifically structured around your personal circumstances – your lifestyle today and plans for the future, family situation, income requirements, objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance.
 
If you don’t already have a financial plan in place for Portugal, or you haven’t reviewed your savings and investments recently, you need to check they are suitable for you today and the current economic climate. Do they have the right balance of risk and return? Do you have adequate diversification? Can they provide income without risking the capital? Could you consolidate shares and funds so they are easier to manage?
 
At the same time, consider your tax liabilities on investment income and gains, and whether you could take advantage of tax-efficient arrangements as a resident of Portugal. Also, how will these savings be passed to your heirs? What inheritance taxes will they have to pay? Can the funds be passed on directly or will there be a lengthy probate process?
 
And when deciding what to do with your pensions, take care to explore all your options to establish the most suitable approach for you with regulated advice.
 
Pulling everything together
 
Every family is different. Your strategic financial planning must be carefully designed for you. All the various aspects should work cohesively together to create an overall wealth management plan that provides long-term financial security for yourself and achieves your wishes for your heirs. 
 
For peace of mind that you have covered everything, and that making one financial decision will not have unexpected consequences on another, take specialist, cross-border advice.
 
Ultimately, spending time on a financial health-check now can help ensure you and your family are in the best financial position to enjoy a prosperous 2022 and beyond.   
 
Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts, retirement schemes and companies. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.
You can find other financial advisory articles by visiting our website here www.blevinsfranks.com

This article was originally published by Blevins Franks.