Fund group moves base from UK to Dublin

Smith &
Williamson has changed the domicile of its cash unit trust from Britain to
Dublin to avoid the increaseds tax rates for UK residents receiving dividend
income from a Dublin cash fund.

Angus Duncan, a Smith & Williamson director, told Fund Strategy
the firm had moved the fund because changes in the
Budget,
to be implemented from April 6, made Dublin preferable because it offered lower
tax rates of up to 25%.

Duncan said that, in a British-based fund dividends were still taxed as
interest income. Higher-rate payers in British funds paid 40% and lower-rate
payers were taxed at 20%.

However, other fund management groups have not followed suit. John Davison,
Investment Management Association head of tax, said the disparity between
taxation of onshore and offshore bond funds already existed, although this had
been made more acute by the recent Budget change.

Further reading:

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