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Tax Haven Residents Get A Spring In Their Step

After saying that tax and death were certainties, there were few who would disagree Benjamin Franklin then, and even fewer today.

But the tiny country Andorra, tucked away in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, is doing her best to prove him wrong.

On the tax side Andorra is one of Europe's two best tax havens, Monaco being the other, with both offering residents a life free of income tax.

But remarkably, as well as having a tax free life, Andorra citizens enjoy the best life expectancy in the world.

Of all the countries in the world none can better Andorra's 83 (and a half!) years of living. It betters the US by nearly six years.

As well as having a stress free economic life the people of Andorra enjoy fresh mountain air, with some of her peaks reaching nearly 10,000 feet.

Andorra has a population of 67,000 people, and around a third of those are people who have moved from elsewhere, notably the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Portugal, for her tax benefits primarily, with the added years of life coming as a surprise extra to many newcomers.

For those Andorrans who do become not as well as the rest of the population, they can relax in the knowledge that the country has one of the best equipped hospitals in Europe, and if they choose to go private a room costs under US $100 a day.

Well known for her ski resorts, Andorra has transformed her ski holiday image over the last 20 years from a 'poor man's Switzerland' to a fully functional ski country able to compete with other European countries during the December April European ski season.

So successful has the transformation been that nearly ten million tourists visit the country each year.

And for this year's ski season Andorra has opened a new family friendly ski park in Arinsal, moving away further still from her old image of a cheap and cheerful ski holiday for 18-30 year olds to one that caters well for all.

The snow park includes a conveyor belt and a game zone, designed to give children confidence before they ski and use the chair lifts.

Well known ski villages in Andorra include Soldeu, Ordino as well as Arinsal.

Other new developments in Andorra for the 2007 ski season include a 540 space underground car park in La Massana close to the cable car, and an extension of the beginners area in Arinsal.

Commenting on the new facilities, an Andorra travel guide claims that the investment in Andorra's infrastructure is ongoing, and will allow Andorra to compete with other ski areas in Europe for years to come - and most of her residents will still be around to see it happen!