About Expat Compass
Plain-English money tools for people who live, work and retire abroad — built to help you ask better questions and avoid expensive mistakes.
Why this exists
Moving abroad turns simple money questions into complicated ones. Are you still a UK tax resident? Will you get a full State Pension? Is that “free pension review” actually going to cost you a fortune in hidden fees?
Expat Compass brings the answers together in one calm, jargon-free place. The free tools give you instant, useful estimates. Save your details once and every calculator remembers them.
A word on pension “advisers”
There is a well-documented industry of offshore sales operations that target expats with unsolicited “reviews”, then move pensions into high-fee products that quietly drain retirement savings. We won’t name names, but we will give you the tools and questions to spot a bad deal yourself — starting with our Pension Fee Impact calculator.
Always check an adviser is on the FCA Register and read FCA ScamSmart before moving any pension.
The important bit: this is guidance, not advice
Expat Compass provides general information and estimates only. Current-year calculators use published UK rules for the 2026/27 tax year (England, Wales & Northern Ireland) where stated and make simplifying assumptions. It is not regulated financial, tax or legal advice, and you should not make decisions based on it alone.
Everyone’s situation is different — especially across borders, where domicile, double-taxation treaties and local rules all matter. Please speak to an FCA-authorised adviser or a qualified cross-border tax professional about your own circumstances.
How guides and calculators are checked
We start with official sources such as GOV.UK, HMRC, the FCA and the relevant overseas tax authority. Blog guides link to the sources used and show the date they were checked. Calculators explain their assumptions and should be treated as planning screens, not filing software.
Rules and official guidance can change between reviews. Confirm a result at the linked official source and get qualified advice before acting on a material tax, pension, investment, immigration or estate-planning decision.
Browse the source-linked guides or read our privacy, cookies and advertising notice.