Asked to confirm tax residency by my bank

henm2

'It's all very odd and think best place for this letter is the bin!!

Not a good idea to bin it. Just fill it in sign it and return back to bank. That avoids your account having to be frozen temporarily.

meer53

Ladylove wrote: »

We have received one of these letters also and frankly it doesn't make sense.
Neither or us have lived abroad , have few savings, and not much income
either. It's all very odd and think best place for this letter is the bin!!

Whats odd about them asking you to confirm where you are resident for tax purposes ? Bin it if you like but open another account somewhere else first as failure to respond will result in the closure of your account. And you will be asked the same question when you open a new account, so why not just reply to the letter ?

mgdavid

meer53 wrote: »

Whats odd about them asking you to confirm where you are resident for tax purposes ? Bin it if you like but open another account somewhere else first as failure to respond will result in the closure of your account. And you will be asked the same question when you open a new account, so why not just reply to the letter ?

Really? I've opened accounts online in the last 12 months and haven't been asked that - or any similar - question.

bobobski

I have accounts with First Direct, TSB, Nationwide, Tesco and Halifax and have just received one of these letters from Halifax. As with people above I was concerned about the level of personal details requested. so I called (using their website to find the phone number, not the letter) to confirm it is genuine. Not a lot else to do, no?

Ballard

mgdavid wrote: »

Really? I've opened accounts online in the last 12 months and haven't been asked that - or any similar - question.

I opened a good half a dozen last year and was asked on every one so either we've opened accounts with different banks or you were asked and forgot.

meer53

mgdavid wrote: »

Really? I've opened accounts online in the last 12 months and haven't been asked that - or any similar - question.

usual question is "where are you registered for tax purposes ?" Some say if it's UK you dont have to provide more info so you probably forgot you'd answered it.

Ballard

meer53 wrote: »

usual question is "where are you registered for tax purposes ?" Some say if it's UK you dont have to provide more info so you probably forgot you'd answered it.

In my experience banks ask whether you're liable for tax in any other jurisdictions in addition to the UK question.

eDicky

Ballard wrote: »

In my experience banks ask whether you're liable for tax in any other jurisdictions in addition to the UK question.

Yes that's the usual question, presumably to fulfill their obligation to FATCA that they have checked for any US connection. But I have never been asked for NI number, except for ISA application.

boo_star

meer53 wrote: »

usual question is "where are you registered for tax purposes ?" Some say if it's UK you dont have to provide more info so you probably forgot you'd answered it.

Even if Americans are resident and registered for paying tax in the U.K., they may well be liable for US tax too.

The US does have some pretty absurd laws.

Ladylove

I decided to contact my bank just in case this was a scam.
Apparently not as the form has not asked for any information
other than name/address/dob. and no details of account no. Etc. Sounds like names are being
electronically spat out at random. Seems it's an international effort to stop money laundering
etc., To send this to a 76 year old man with a traumatic brain injury is appalling..apart from
the fact that we are pensioners with no other financial dealings...but as the nice lady at the
bank said..they couldn't know that.
What a waste of resources but it's the way the world is goingu.
Anyone out there got any comments.