Lawyers have their own views, Governments have theirs'. Financial Advisors have a view and so do Judges. But what actually are the differences between Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance?

Quite simply, not very much however, the slim difference between the two can mean a vast difference in consequences. Allow us to use the Oxford English Dictionary’s definition of the two:

Tax Evasion - "the illegal non-payment or underpayment of tax".

Tax Avoidance – "the reduction, by legal methods, of the amount of tax that a person or company pays".

Now we are sure that the majority of people reading those two definitions, would wonder how you can do one without treading on very dangerous ground with regards to the other. Allow us to explain.

Seeking advice from a Financial Advisor is the first step. Financial Advisors are aware of the Tax benefits open to Expatriates and the tax savings that are available to them. These of course differ for each Nationality but in the main, Tax Benefits to Expatriates exist and are often overlooked because people do not seek the advice of professionals.

As a simple example: imagine a Chief Financial Officer of a Multi-National Company that is listed on a stock-exchange. That company has operations in 23 countries around the world and it is the responsibility of the CFO to the company’s shareholders, to ensure that the company’s tax liabilities globally are managed and that they do not pay TOO MUCH TAX.

There is no Government in the world that says you have to pay 'too much' tax, they all lay down the law and provided you do not cross the line between legal and illegal, there are a great many savings to be made by studying your individual tax situation in detail. We always suggest you seek the help and advice of a professional Financial Advisor to ascertian what benefits are open to you.