Unexpected request to confirm tax residency - Halifax

Hotrod_Dave

The, seemingly, common denominator is opening an account. Having taken one into my local Lloyds Bank branch, they knew nothing about it. The PO Box number belongs to LLoyds Bank however. If HMRC are so bothered about my residency for tax purposes, they can write to me themselves - I pay them tax every week, they should know already. i have received three of these now and have ignored them and will continue to do so!

jokanahan

Chocklit54..............
Your have done us all a great favour by writing with such detail and clarity, attributes which we could wish that Halifax possessed!
Will be waiting and watching to see your reply.
Thank you and BRAVO!!

misled2016

I have discovered that the forms posted to Willenhall are opened by Xerox employees and scanned in to Lloyds Bank group systems (according to Ernst and Young by phone). The original forms are kept by Xerox - not sure if stored or destroyed.
Very unhappy.
I keep chasing up the Halifax but getting nowhere, just told to fill in form and send it. If I take it in the Halifax branch it will apparently just be sent to Willenhall anyway!
Other posters on this - what have you decided to do as 17th May looms?

hoppa

whats going on with this carry on.

First of all i recieve a letter with a form for me to fill in re tax residency.

It wanted info on where i live if i have ever been in u.s.a.

I rang Halifax they told me not to fill it in and destroy it.
I have recently recd a reminder to fill in form and send it in or i will be subject to furthewr investigation by relevant tax authority eh??

i rang number on letter, it had been sent not by halifax but by a company called "Earnst and Young" who informed me that they have been tasked on behalf of Loyds due to new legislation to get info on certain individuals tax resdiency.

I still wasnt happy so contacted halifax, they still did not know anything about it.

I then recd phone call from halifax complaints telling me i have to fill in form and they offered me 30 quid for my troubles.

im still reluctant to fill out this form so ive rang tax office, guess what ??, they know nothing about it, so they have told me to photocopy it and send it in to them for inspection..

DO I HAVE TO GIVE THEM THESE DETAILS, TAX OFFICE HAS SAID ALL MY AFFAIRS ETC IN ORDER...WHATS GOING ON???

hoppa

Not sure if right here but just thinking from convo had with rep from Earnst and Young.

It strikes me that the government have now decided that they are gonna try and track down tax dodgers and people who have offshore accounts.

So does that mena that they have instructed the banks to get info about customers who bank with them

so for whatever reason certain individuals like us lot complaining get a letter asking for our tax residency status so that they can eliminate us from their enquiry.

Why are they bothering honest genuine hard working people why dont they go for the real culprits....and who the hell is paying earnst and young for this task??

Is it tax payers money??

booksurr

hoppa wrote: »

Why are they bothering honest genuine hard working people why dont they go for the real culprits....and who the hell is paying earnst and young for this task??

your aggression is blinding you

how do you propose to identify "honest genuine hardworking people"? Use your magical powers? intuition?

badmemory

I got the reminder letter on Monday and against my better judgement have filled in the form & returned it. I also sent a letter with it, which I am sure they will completely ignore, explaining some of the many reasons why it appeared fraudulent.

Even the reminder letter stated - return it to us - and of course it isn't to be returned to them. It also still doesn't state the account that I am signing as the account holder of. So as far I know they have another account with the same name as mine that I have just signed as the owner of through their incompetance. Just proves really that they are just going through the motions of complying.

kidmugsy

We've had "why haven't you sent your forms back?" letters, with what appear to be threats. What bloody forms? We haven't received any.

Jensterfarni

I've had one of these! Rang the numbe on letter just (I've not received a form to fill in), lady I spoke told me to ring back at 2pm as systems are down? I said can the form be downloaded to fill in? She said "no" and hung up on me??????

molerat

I have just opened an additional account over the phone with Santander and had to go through an "updating your details" session. One of the questions was tax residency so it seems all the banks are starting to do this one way or another.