Reclaim Withholding Tax on Foreign Dividends

*Rainbow*Warrior*

Hi, just looking for a bit of advice please.

I have a few shares from a previous employment with Santander. I receive a small dividend 4 times a year with Spanish Withholding Tax already taken off.

I have a part time job and am also self employed so I complete a self assessment each year. I declare the dividend on my tax return and thought I was getting the withholding tax back (my self employment has made a loss the last few years so I got a tax refund and assumed it was partly made up of the Spanish withholding tax).

This year I've made a small profit but still not enough to pay any tax, but my refund is less than the withholding tax, and I think it relates only to tax on UK savings accounts.

I've googled for info on claiming the tax back but one link was a company offering to claim it back for me (for a fee, of course!), while 2 other links wouldn't open at all. I admit I've not done a lot of research on this, but since my initial googling wasn't terribly helpful I thought I'd ask if anyone else can shed any light on it for me please?Or at least point me in the right direction? Do I reclaim the tax through my self assessment form or elsewhere?

Thanks

booksurr

*Rainbow*Warrior* wrote: »

I've googled for info on claiming the tax back

really !!!

did you try : "santander shares spanish withholding tax" because the first result is the link to santander's own website where they explain exactly how a UK taxpayer deals with the dividends they pay you

http://www.santander.com/csgs/Satellite/CFWCSancomQP01/en_GB/Corporate/Shareholders/United-Kingdom/DividendScrip-Dividend-Scheme-/Spanish-Tax-Information.html

you will need to click through to the .pdf which explains how to claim

*Rainbow*Warrior*

booksurr wrote: »

really !!!

did you try : "santander shares spanish withholding tax" because the first result is the link to santander's own website where they explain exactly how a UK taxpayer deals with the dividends they pay you

http://www.santander.com/csgs/Satellite/CFWCSancomQP01/en_GB/Corporate/Shareholders/United-Kingdom/DividendScrip-Dividend-Scheme-/Spanish-Tax-Information.html

you will need to click through to the .pdf which explains how to claim

Thanks Haha, no I didn't google that!

I googled it before I had composed my post above - so (crucially) before the question I was asking had properly sorted itself out in my mind! I was googling 'Can I get interest back on foreign dividends?'

Of course now it makes perfect sense and I am suitably chastised Sorry.

My fingers clearly type faster than my brain can get into gear!!!! But thanks, I will take a look at the link - appreciate the help

And now that I look back at my browser history I am even more ashamed because I was googling how to get interest back, not tax!!!!! I blame this on a caffeine deficiency!

molerat

Unless the amount of tax is considerable the costs will outweigh the benefit.

*Rainbow*Warrior*

molerat wrote: »

Unless the amount of tax is considerable the costs will outweigh the benefit.

Haven't read the link yet... there's a cost???