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UK govt owes expats 400m pounds in inheritance tax
| Published: | 10 May at 6 PM |
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As reported by The Telegraph, British expatriates who were mistakenly charged inheritance tax for their properties in Spain are getting ready for a legal fight to reclaim their money.
Around 60,000 UK families have been billed for inheritance taxes for assets and properties they inherited in Spain. The charges are thought to be in the ballpark of £400 million.
Spain's government levied inheritance taxes of up to 35 percent on non-residents, while Spaniards paid almost zero percent. The European Commission says this was an unfair tax treatment in regard to EU citizens.
A legal case was brought to the European Court of Justice last March, where the EC argued that Spain was violating EU treaty freedoms. The verdict from the ECJ could open the watergates to thousands of UK citizens reclaiming their money, and force Spain to reform its inheritance tax laws.
While 60,000 British people are estimated to have mistakenly paid for the taxes, only 40,000 of these are still capable of making a claim due to legal time limits. Claimants trying to make a legal claim after four years from the payment date have very little hope.
Around 60,000 UK families have been billed for inheritance taxes for assets and properties they inherited in Spain. The charges are thought to be in the ballpark of £400 million.
Spain's government levied inheritance taxes of up to 35 percent on non-residents, while Spaniards paid almost zero percent. The European Commission says this was an unfair tax treatment in regard to EU citizens.
A legal case was brought to the European Court of Justice last March, where the EC argued that Spain was violating EU treaty freedoms. The verdict from the ECJ could open the watergates to thousands of UK citizens reclaiming their money, and force Spain to reform its inheritance tax laws.
While 60,000 British people are estimated to have mistakenly paid for the taxes, only 40,000 of these are still capable of making a claim due to legal time limits. Claimants trying to make a legal claim after four years from the payment date have very little hope.
Comments » There is 1 comment
Donna Knight wrote 10
years ago:
If you have inherited properties or assets in Spain within the last four years and either you or the deceased were non residents in Spain at the time of death, you may be able to recover almost 100% of the inheritance tax paid to the Spanish tax office. Due to legal limits in Spain your claim may expire. Contact the experts at Spanish Legal Reclaims as referred to in The Telegraph article on 0845 680 3849 (UK) +34 936 804 563 (SPAIN)
