Assisted Dying Leaflet published by ?

[Apple]

2 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

But if going somewhere to die really did alter your country of residence for any sort of purpose, you would think that we would have heard about it by now.  And the  airports of suitable tax havens would be full of the arriving soon-to-be departed, trying to expire advantageously.

Like any new laws the potential impacts have to be careful considered. There will always be unintended consequences that no-one foresees. 

[John Wright]

9 hours ago, Apple said:

Like any new laws the potential impacts have to be careful considered. There will always be unintended consequences that no-one foresees. 

But not the consequence envisaged by Mr Becket.

11 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

I must say I stopped reading after the first page as it struck me as being completely implausible - the sort of argument that judges politely describe as 'valiant' (ie "Your client's case had sod all going for it, but at least you tried.  Loudly").   But if going somewhere to die really did alter your country of residence for any sort of purpose, you would think that we would have heard about it by now.  And the  airports of suitable tax havens would be full of the arriving soon-to-be departed, trying to expire advantageously.

But according to Dignitas's own figures, nearly 500 people from the UK alone have gone to Switzerland and been helped to their death there over the last 20 years.  I suspect if there had been tax complications arising, there would be some cases raised in that period.

His whole premise seems wrong. He suggests that a wealthy tax exile from UK to IoM will lose their Manx domicile of choice if they go to Switzerland for assisted dying.

Legally I think he’s wrong. As you say there have been 500 Brits over 20 years. Of course if they were all UK resident and domiciled it makes no difference. His point only arises if they had left UK and moved to IoM or CI for tax planning.

So, if IoM has its own assisted dying law that risk doesn’t arise.

[Roger Mexico]

11 hours ago, Apple said:

Like any new laws the potential impacts have to be careful considered. There will always be unintended consequences that no-one foresees. 

Of course, but we have the experience of other countries and jurisdictions who have been operating similar legislation for decades in some cases.  To quote the Consultation:

Around the world similar debates are taking place. At the time of writing, some form of assisted dying is legal in at least 25 jurisdictions with over 200 million people having access to this service. Jurisdictions which have legislated for assisted dying include; all six states in Australia, New Zealand, 10 states in the USA and the District of Columbia, Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands.

It's important to learn from from those places, not just in the detail of how the law is drafted, but also how it is operated.

A reminder that the Assisted Dying Consultation closes tomorrow on 26 January.

[Gladys]

To add to the debate, I believe one of the actions that can be considered by the UK as indicating your intent as to your domicile (relevant to the UK non-dom tax status) is if you buy a burial plot somewhere.  If you do,  it shows an intent that that is your desired last resting place, so your domicile of choice.  Not sure, but if you make provision for the return of your body to wherever, does that impact on your tax residency?