How to get HMRC to pay refund overseas - Copied from Benefits and Tax credits (wrong forum)

M_j_t

In March I had some UK defined benefits pensions start paying (2 or the 3, the third has been paying since 2017 but was too low to pay tax).

Although I applied to the ATO (Australian Tax office) for a relief from taxation (Double Taxation Agreement so you only pay Tax in Australia) in December, this wasn't processed and sat on the ATO's desk for 3 months. The upshot that the I paid the princely sum of 26.40(GBP) in tax for the 21-22 tax year. I was notified of the refund, but couldn't appear to enter a non-UK bank's details. So a cheque was sent (which has just arrived).

At this point in time I have just seen that my tax codes have now been changed to NT. However, that means, I believe, that I will be due an additional  and relatively much large refund (which I believe as part of the Double Taxation process but may not until after this tax year).

The issue is that it would cost a large part of this refund to cash the cheque (see update) and a second a such amount if both refunds are separate (not sure how much, but I do know that I fronted one of my banks here with a US cheque earlier this year only to be told it would cost more than the cheque was worth so that cheque was just bin fodder).

So can I not cash the cheque and request that the two amounts are combined, and if so how do I go about doing that?

Another question is can I provide the ATO with the details of a non UK bank (i.e. an Australian Bank (Credit Union (very much like a Building Society))) for such payments. One suggestion is that I create a WISE account for the UK (not that sure how to go about doing that).

Phoning HMRC is not something that I would look forward to due to the time difference, cost, stress and also not being well enough informed 

This retirement thing has been pretty stressful, with having to resort to complaints with the majority of the other involved parties (Mercer (not providing a benefit statement), the ATO (as above), the Australian Mutual Bank (60k tax-free lump sum vanishing for over a month)  and also unnecessary phone calls and communications to the Pensions company re the lost 60K), HMRC not processing the DT form in a timely fashion (they received it early May).

In less than a year I will be eligible for getting the UK state pension, which I assume (hope) will be able to paid into a non-UK bank, so surely there are ways to get payments into a non-UK bank.

Your time and effort in responding will be greatly appreciated.

Update

I've just phoned the bank (the only 1 of the 4 banks that we have accounts with that cashes overseas cheques) in regards to determining the cost of cashing an overseas cheque and they no longer provide this service (as appears to be the trend). So without running around the other banks cashing the cheque is not possible.

• The quoted text above is the post made in the other forum. 
• The struck out text (re refund of additional tax paid since April, I've been told that the Pension providers will refund this) or isn't really relevant (I think).

So 2 issues. 

1. How to get HMRC (I assume they do the State Pension payments) to pay at least the State Pension into an overseas account (Australian). 
2. I'm sort of resigned that the 26.40 GBP tax refund for 21-22 will probably never be worth the hassle to chase (even though I feel cheated by what appears to be so out-dated (damn sure if I owed tax then HMRC would manage to recognise, find and raid my overseas accounts in a few seconds)). 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

DWP pay the State Pension.  There are a lot of people living outside the UK who get State Pension so I'm sure DWP can cope.

Why do you think HMRC can access non criminals bank accounts 🤔

M_j_t

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

DWP pay the State Pension.  There are a lot of people living outside the UK who get State Pension so I'm sure DWP can cope.

Had to check DWP, that's a relief that it's not HMRC.

Found their website and the link re claiming overseas, will do some reading. Many thanks for mentioning them.

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Why do you think HMRC can access non criminals bank accounts 🤔

Heard of Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) and the ATO, you get to learn a few things in the not up and over land of the vegemite sandwich 

I guess the speed of your response, you work for HMRC collections Team. 

Do you have certification that I wasn't transported down under, sheesh I thought all of us POMS were of a particular conviction. 

M_j_t

Thanks to Dazed and Confused mentioining DWP it appears that the State pension payments seems to be pretty much sorted as the DWP website says 

Bank accounts your pension can be paid into
Your State Pension can be paid into:

• a bank in the country you’re living in

• a bank or building society in the UK