Expatriate Finance And Why Multi-Jurisdictions Cause ProblemsThe world of expatriate finance is very confusing. As someone who has been an adviser to expatriates on money matters for several years, take it from me that this isn't for the faint-hearted! Expats will generally have assets in more than one country, bank accounts and sometimes property in far-away places and - potentially at least - multiple tax liabilities. Being able to understand the different workings of financial and taxation systems in different jurisdictions - and possibly different languages - is not easy. Ask any expat and they will have their own financial horror stories to tell of confusing laws, multiple taxes or statements lost in storage somewhere that it is now desparately urgent that they locate. If you are reading this and thinking that it sounds stressful... Correct! It is. This extra complexity means that finding advice that is accurate and reliable is very important. To many expats, it is also important to find a financial adviser that is able to actually do some of the work as well. These tasks may sound simple but can be very time consuming - and most expats are "time poor". This section will hopefully offer a few 'pointers' about general financial planning for expatriates. I'm sorry, but online, it can never be more than general advice. In my experience, most multi-jurisdictional finances are unique and highly complex - and cannot be generalised.
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