Cash clinic

Q: My client is thinking of retiring to France or Spain but they are worried about the inheritance tax position should they die while resident there. Can you shed any light on this? Neil Chadwick, technical officer at Scottish Life International, writes: Purchases of properties in France and Spain for retirement/holiday homes have been commonplace among UK residents for many years now. In 2007 alone, over a quarter (25.4%) of foreign properties purchased by Brits were located in Spain, while France was second most popular, with 17% of the market.* However, more often than not, purchaser...