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  • Estate planning

    Talking about death and taxes in the same breath feels a bit wrong, but unfortunately, the two go hand in hand.

    However, we have some tax experts to help you through what can be a difficult and emotional time.

    Get started today
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    Benjamin Franklin was a smart man…

    In 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “…but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” How prophetic he was. Unfortunately, the two often coincide, and estate tax planning and getting sound death tax advice are not only highly recommended but completely necessary in many circumstances.

    Fortunately, we can help. Our international network of inheritance tax specialists can assist and advise you with all your death taxes, gift taxes and estate planning needs – regardless of where your assets are located in the world.

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    International expertise

    Death Taxes

    A death tax is a tax levied on the transfer of property from a deceased person to their heirs or beneficiaries. The rules around death taxes vary massively internationally – some countries have no such thing, while others have high tax rates and complex regulations.

    In the United States, for example, there’s a federal estate tax that applies to the transfer of estates above a certain threshold, AND state-level estate and inheritance taxes in some states. In contrast, in many European countries, these high estate and inheritance tax rates apply to all estates, regardless of the value or the relationship between the deceased and their heirs. To complicate matters even further, some countries have exemptions or deductions for certain types of assets or beneficiaries, while others don’t.

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    Gift taxes

    Gift taxes are levied on the transfer of property from one person to another as a gift. Much like death taxes, the rules around them vary internationally, with some countries having no gift tax at all, while others have high tax rates and strict regulations.

    For example, many European countries have high gift tax rates that apply to all gifts, regardless of the amount or the recipient, whereas in the States, there’s a gift tax that applies to transfers of more than a certain amount, but there are exemptions for certain types of gifts and for gifts to certain individuals. And yes, you guessed it, some countries also have inheritance taxes that apply to gifts received shortly before the donor’s death, while others do not.

    If you have any concerns about death or gift taxes and you’d prefer an expert handle rather them rather than try and muddle through on your own, we can put you in touch with a tax professional in your territory who can make short work of all the legal mambo jumbo. Just hit the button below to get the process started.

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    Local tax advisors to solve your
    international tax issues.

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    So, what’s involved with estate planning?

    At a very basic level, estate planning is the process of managing and distributing a person’s assets and wealth after their death. But it doesn’t stop there because the beneficiary of the estate will have to pay inheritance tax upon the transfer of assets. To complicate matters further, estate planning can also involve Trusts. A trust is a legal arrangement in which a person or organisation (the trustee) holds and manages assets on behalf of another person (the beneficiary).

    It goes without saying that any of the above scenarios would be complicated to navigate at the best of times, but when they take place during highly emotionally charged circumstances then it becomes that much more difficult to execute. If you need a reputable inheritance tax advisor, help planning an estate, or arranging a trust then our Tax Natives can help – irrespective of where you may be in the world. Speak to our team today and let us put you in touch with a tax expert who can help you with the complexities of estate planning during this difficult time.

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    Estate planning: the lowdown

    Let’s take a deeper look into the complexities of each aspect of estate planning

    Estate planning

    Estate planning can be a complex process that involves a range of legal, financial, and tax considerations. One of the main challenges is ensuring that your wishes are carried out effectively after your death. This involves creating a will or trust that outlines how your assets will be distributed, appointing an executor or trustee to manage your affairs, and making arrangements for end-of-life care. If your estate is large or complex, it’s a good idea to seek professional advice from a tax expert in your territory to ensure that your estate plan is structured effectively.

    Another challenge of estate planning is minimising the tax liability on your estate. In many, many countries, estate taxes can be a significant cost for beneficiaries, which vastly reduces the amount of wealth that is passed on to them. An inheritance tax specialist can help you to write an estate plan that will minimise these taxes and they’ll also have intimate knowledge of the complex tax laws in your jurisdiction.

    Finally, estate planning can be emotionally challenging, particularly if there are disputes or disagreements among family members over the distribution of assets. It’s important to communicate your wishes clearly to your beneficiaries and to involve them in the estate planning process where appropriate. This can help to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts later on.

    Sound familiar? Need help planning an estate that works effectively for your beneficiaries? Hit the link below and we’ll make the introductions to the right people in your jurisdiction.

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    Inheritance tax

    One of the main challenges with inheritance tax is ensuring that your estate is structured in a tax-efficient manner. Inheritance tax can be a significant cost for beneficiaries, considerably reducing the amount of wealth that is passed on to them. There’s a range of strategies that an inheritance tax advisor can employ to minimise the tax liability on your estate, such as making gifts during your lifetime, creating trusts, or structuring your estate in a tax-efficient manner. These strategies can be hugely complex, which is why it’ll be invaluable to have someone in your corner who’ll take careful consideration of the tax laws in your jurisdiction.

    Another challenge of inheritance tax is navigating the rules and regulations in your jurisdiction. Inheritance tax laws vary widely between countries (and even between states or provinces within some countries), so you’ll need someone to navigate these effectively for you.

    Perhaps the most obvious thing connected to inheritance tax is that it can be emotionally challenging, particularly if there are disputes or disagreements among family members over the distribution of assets. Inheritance tax can exacerbate existing conflicts or create new ones, particularly if family members feel that they have been unfairly treated. An inheritance tax specialist can act as a neutral, unbiased representative of your wishes and ensure that your beneficiaries get what they have been promised, irrespective of their own personal views or agendas.

    To get inheritance tax planning advice from a professional working in your territory, hit the button below and let’s make sure your wishes are carried out as you want them to be.

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    Trusts and trust funds

    Trusts can be used for a range of purposes, such as providing for the care of a minor child, managing assets for a person with disabilities, or supporting a charitable cause. Trust funds can be a complex and challenging issue because there are many different types, each with its own set of rules and regulations. Determining which type of trust is most appropriate for your situation is one of the many things that a tax expert in your territory can help you with.

    Another challenge of trust funds is managing the assets that are held in trust. The trustee has a duty to manage the trust assets in the best interests of the beneficiaries. The trustee must ensure that the trust assets are invested prudently and that the income and principal are distributed to the beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the trust. This can be particularly challenging if the trust assets are complex or illiquid, such as real estate or private equity.

    As we’ve seen already with inheritance, disputes can arise if beneficiaries feel that they are not receiving their fair share of the trust assets, or if they disagree with the decisions made by the trustee. That’s why it’s super important to communicate clearly with your beneficiaries and to involve them in the trust planning process where appropriate. This can help to ensure that their needs and concerns are taken into account, and can help to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts later on.

    To avoid these kinds of disputes we recommend employing the services of an estate planning tax expert who can ensure that all legalities are abided by. Hit the button below to find out more.

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    Why Tax Natives?

    Think of us as a tax dating service (stay with us on this). We swipe through our network of international tax consultants and find one that’s a perfect match for your unique tax situation.

    Whether you’re of retirement age and are looking to invest your pension, a property magnate expanding your portfolio into new countries, or a stakeholder in a business that is opening up a satellite in a new location, our international tax advisors can help you with the tricky business of abiding by local tax laws.

    We’ll strip away all the jargon and make the world of international tax feel much more intimate. A match made in international tax heaven, if you will. Find out more about your tax destinations and jurisdictions using the map below.

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    MEMBERSHIP LEVELS —

    What are the membership types available?

    Curator Native

    FREE

    The Curator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Curator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    However, the Curator has additional responsibilities. They are tasked with the responsibility of managing and updating one of the jurisdiction pages. There is only one Curator membership available for each jurisdiction.

    Where a Curator fulfils their commitments then they receive a 100% discount against their monthly membership fee.

    A Curator can also provide articles if they wish.

    READ MORE

    Creator Native

    FREE

    The Creator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Creator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    However, the Creator has additional responsibilities. They commit to their other Natives that they will produce at least one piece of quality content each quarter – whether an article, video or other valuable content.

    There are multiple Creator memberships available for each jurisdiction. Where a Curator fulfils their commitments then they receive a 100% discount against their monthly membership fee.

    READ MORE

    Adviser Native

    £65 / month

    The Adviser is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Adviser is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Adviser Native is a care-free soul and has made no other commitments to his fellow Tax Natives to generate content or curate a jurisdictional page. That’s cool.

    However, the Adviser will be eligible to pay the full monthly membership fee.

    READ MORE
    Become a curator

    TAX NATIVES: CURATOR

    Curator

    The Curator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Curator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    However, the Curator has additional responsibilities. They are tasked with the responsibility of managing and updating one of the jurisdiction pages.

    There is only one Curator membership available for each jurisdiction.

    Where a Curator fulfils their commitments then they receive a 100% discount against their monthly membership fee.

    READ MORE
    Become a creator

    TAX NATIVES: CREATOR

    Creator

    The Creator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    However, the Creator has additional responsibilities. They commit to their other Natives that they will produce at least one piece of quality content each quarter – whether an article, video or other valuable content.

    There are multiple Creator memberships available for each jurisdiction. Where a Curator fulfils their commitments then they receive a 100% discount against their monthly membership fee.

    Become an adviser

    TAX NATIVES: ADVISOR

    Adviser

    The Adviser is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team.

    As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Adviser Native is a care-free soul and has made no other commitments to his fellow Tax Natives to generate content or curate a jurisdictional page.

    That's cool.

    However, the Adviser will be eligible to pay the full monthly membership fee.

    Initial admin fee £250 Free £250 Free £250 Free
    Minimum membership term 12 months 12 months 12 months
    Article contentCreator and Curators must create at least one piece of original, quality-approved content each quarter.
    No
    YesCreator and Curators must create at least one piece of original, quality-approved content each quarter.
    No
    Managing and updating your
    jurisdiction page
    Yes
    No
    No

    NATIVE

    FREE

    Read more

    TAX NATIVES: CURATOR

    Curator

    The Curator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    However, the Curator has additional responsibilities. They are tasked with the responsibility of managing and updating one of the jurisdiction pages.

    There is only one Curator membership available for each jurisdiction.

    Where a Curator fulfils their commitments then they receive a 100% discount against their monthly membership fee.

    Initial admin fee £250 Free
    Minimum membership term 12 months
    Article contentCreator and Curators must create at least one piece of original, quality-approved content each quarter.
    No
    Managing and updating your jurisdiction page Yes

    FREE

    Read more

    TAX NATIVES: CREATOR

    Creator

    The Creator is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team. As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    However, the Creator has additional responsibilities. They commit to their other Natives that they will produce at least one piece of quality content each quarter – whether an article, video or other valuable content.

    There are multiple Creator memberships available for each jurisdiction. Where a Curator fulfils their commitments then they receive a 100% discount against their monthly membership fee.

    Initial admin fee £250 Free
    Minimum membership term 12 months
    Content creationCreator and Curators must create at least one piece of original, quality-approved content each quarter.
    YesCreator and Curators must create at least one piece of original, quality-approved content each quarter.
    Managing and updating your jurisdiction page No

    £65 / month

    Read more

    TAX NATIVES: ADVISOR

    Adviser

    The Adviser is a fully-fledged member of the Tax Natives team.

    As such, they are capable of making introductions to other Tax Natives and are also able to take leads from their fellow Natives.

    The Adviser Native is a care-free soul and has made no other commitments to his fellow Tax Natives to generate content or curate a jurisdictional page.

    That's cool.

    However, the Adviser will be eligible to pay the full monthly membership fee.

    Initial admin fee £250 Free
    Minimum membership term 12 months
    Content creationCreator and Curators must create at least one piece of original, quality-approved content each quarter.
    No
    Managing and updating your jurisdiction page No

    Contact us

    If you want to know more about Tax Natives membership, you’re having problems with your account, or if you’d like to give a virtual high-five to a Tax Native, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you.

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    OUR PEOPLE —

    Andy Wood

    Founder & Director

    Andy joined the bar in 2019 after learning his ‘trade’ in large, international accountancy firms including the Big 4.

    Over a decade ago (2011 to be precise), hoping that some of the magic dust from these entrepreneurial clients had rubbed off on him, he established his own tax advisery business.

    His clients, as well as the aforementioned entrepreneurs, also include high-net-worth individuals, sports persons and entertainers and private companies.

    He decided to establish Tax Natives due to his first hand experience of regularly having to quickly find reliable and knowledgeable tax advisers around the globe to assist his clients.

    He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (“STEP”).

    Having grown up in Castleford, West Yorkshire, Andy has rugby league in his DNA. He is also a Yorkshire cricket fan and long-suffering Everton supporter.

    His guitar playing ambition exceeds his proficiency.

    OUR PEOPLE —

    Stuart Stobie

    Founder & Director

    Stuart has accumulated 25 years of experience in the trust and fiduciary business sector. His journey commenced in Hong Kong alongside Grant Thornton, and subsequently, he became an integral part of Sovereign, driving business growth across Asia and being appointed Managing Director, before transitioning to Gibraltar.

    After a successful tenure as the Managing Director of Sovereign’s Gibraltar head-office, Stuart’s path led him to Zurich, where he became associated with Coutts Bank. There, he served as a private banker on their Asia desk. Eventually, he returned to the United Kingdom, where he contributed his expertise to a venture capital enterprise. In 2018, he reconnected with Sovereign, this time stationed at the Wirral office which has recently relocated to Chester’s Coachworks. As Managing Director of Sovereign Corporate and Trustee Services Ltd, his responsibilities centre around business development in the North, with a particular focus on corporate and trust work.

    Stuart’s professional journey has afforded him membership in STEP. His diverse background in the financial and fiduciary domain equips him to tackle a wide array of challenges and devise solutions for his clients and collaborators.

    OUR MISSION —

    To provide expert local tax knowledge on a worldwide scale

    Tax Natives is an international tax network that connects taxpayer clients with qualified and regulated tax advisers, from one jurisdiction to another. But we’ll let Andy explain – he’s good at this stuff.

    Bring your knowledge to the world.

    Become a member

    SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE

    Netflix Uses the Netherlands for Tax Optimisation

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    How Tax Natives works.

    Tax Natives is an international tax network that connects Explorers (taxpayer clients) with Natives (qualified and regulated tax advisers) from one jurisdiction to another.

    Ask us a question

    STEP ONE

    Select the ‘Ask a question button located on the top of each page and follow through the process to compose your question

    STEP TWO

    Once your question is confirmed and your account is set up, navigate to your user dashboard to view the message exchange between you and your Tax Native.

    STEP THREE

    Each Tax Native has to accept a question from an Explorer before a conversation can begin. Once the Tax Native has accepted your question, a quote will be submitted for approval through the messaging portal.