British Expats

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-   -   British bank accounts for expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/france-76/british-bank-accounts-expats-934919/)

G-J-B Sep 21st 2020 7:29 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by EuroTrash (Post 12912778)
If you just want to transfer money, you probably don't need to set up Borderless accounts, I think you can do currency transfers without. But for anyone who thinks they are about to lose their UK bank account, they might want to consider setting up a TW Borderless account to switch over any direct debits etc.

Good to know the option exists, should I need it for continuing NI contributions.

Thairetired2016 Sep 22nd 2020 4:41 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 
This appeared on UK in Austria:

Latest information for British nationals in Austria with regards to media coverage about some UK banks’ decision to close accounts belonging to EU/EEA residents https://facebook.com/ukinaustria/po

I assume this applies to all countries.

mrken30 Sep 22nd 2020 4:49 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by dmu (Post 12912300)
Neither has mine (Lloyds), but then my surname is at the end of the alphabet....
If it makes a difference, my current account was converted years ago into an offshore account (on the Isle of Man at the time and now in Andover). Likewise my two daughters' accounts, and they haven't been notified either. They have both been toying with the idea of closing their accounts and transferring their money where it's more useful, so it wouldn't bother them if Lloyds does close them. And in fact I only use mine when I go to the UK, once a year and not at all this year, and I can always use my French CB.
But I can understand all the future administrative issues for expats whose income is paid into a UK account....

The Isle of Man falls under different financial jurisdiction so I very much doubt if you account is affected. I think it is mainly UK based bank accounts.

mrken30 Sep 22nd 2020 4:52 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by EuroTrash (Post 12912778)
If you just want to transfer money, you probably don't need to set up Borderless accounts, I think you can do currency transfers without. But for anyone who thinks they are about to lose their UK bank account, they might want to consider setting up a TW Borderless account to switch over any direct debits etc.

However the borderless account does not fall under any Government backed financial compensation scheme. After having a bank account on the Isle of Man in 2008, from personal experience I know this can cause some issues.

Citibank moved to Dublin last year so I'm hoping they keep sterling accounts. They have the option of EU,GBP and USD accounts. Might be an option for some people.

Thairetired2016 Sep 23rd 2020 9:09 am

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by mrken30 (Post 12913090)
The Isle of Man falls under different financial jurisdiction so I very much doubt if you account is affected. I think it is mainly UK based bank accounts.

Isle of Man banks applied 35% tax at source when EU introduced it if your residence address was in an EU country. ASFAIK IoM is EU. Channel Islands (Guernsey..) have a special deal. Correct me if I'm wrong.

scrubbedexpat056 Sep 23rd 2020 11:18 am

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 
I wrote to Nationwide on 15th September through my account and didn't notice that they had replied. They said they were unaware of the situation. That's a bit worrying in itself.

EuroTrash Sep 23rd 2020 11:48 am

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by Alianco (Post 12913314)
I wrote to Nationwide on 15th September through my account and didn't notice that they had replied. They said they were unaware of the situation. That's a bit worrying in itself.

Well that's just it, isn't it. Everybody is unaware of what the situation will be come Dec 31st because HMG is still playing silly buggers. UK banks don't know if they'll be able to operate in the UK without a licence, UK truckers don't know if they'll be able to operate in the UK without a licence or whether they'll be able to get one if they need one, how is anyone supposed to prepare when they don't know what they're preparing for. But the government seems determined to hold out until the last minute because it thinks brinksmanship is clever, so what can you do.

cyrian Sep 23rd 2020 12:02 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by EuroTrash (Post 12913324)
Well that's just it, isn't it. Everybody is unaware of what the situation will be come Dec 31st because HMG is still playing silly buggers. UK banks don't know if they'll be able to operate in the UK without a licence, UK truckers don't know if they'll be able to operate in the UK without a licence or whether they'll be able to get one if they need one, how is anyone supposed to prepare when they don't know what they're preparing for. But the government seems determined to hold out until the last minute because it thinks brinksmanship is clever, so what can you do.

To be fair the EU is doing exactly the same thing.
Macron promised French fishermen that they would not lose out after Brexit and has instructed Barnier accordingly.
The EU won't move forward unless the UK agrees to follow EU fisheries policy and EU state subsidy rules - even although France and Germany subsidise their respective industries more than the UK.
It is unfair to criticise one lot of Bas****s over the other.
In the meantime we are stuck in the middle.

dmu Sep 23rd 2020 12:34 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by Thairetired2016 (Post 12913280)
Isle of Man banks applied 35% tax at source when EU introduced it if your residence address was in an EU country. ASFAIK IoM is EU. Channel Islands (Guernsey..) have a special deal. Correct me if I'm wrong.

We've only got current accounts which don't give interest, so not affected by tax.
Off topic, the following link gives a lot of heretofore unknown info about the IoM!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man

EuroTrash Sep 23rd 2020 1:24 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 
Yes point taken.
But ffishing, I haven't kept up with the negotiations on that, in fact I don't think they have all been made public, there have been various proposals and counter proposals but this is a fairly recent development https://www.reuters.com/article/us-b...-idUSKBN26632H and the situation does to be slowly evolving. It's not just French interests at stake, it's also the Netherlands, so I think it's a bit of an oversimplification to say "Macron has instructed Barnier".. But, fishing is just one small area of trade - fishermen, fish processers, the fish supply chain and people who like to eat fish.
As for state subsidy rules, I thought the problem was not so much that the EU insists on the UK following EU rules, but it wants to know what the UK's policy on state subsidies is going to be, so that it can decide whether or not that policy is acceptable to the EU. But the UK is refusing to commit itself.

But as you say we are stuck in the middle and the effects of not reaching an agreement on financial passporting and the movement of goods risk bringing wide disruption, not just to the transport sector and the banking sector.

scrubbedexpat056 Sep 23rd 2020 1:27 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by cyrian (Post 12913330)
To be fair the EU is doing exactly the same thing.
Macron promised French fishermen that they would not lose out after Brexit and has instructed Barnier accordingly.
The EU won't move forward unless the UK agrees to follow EU fisheries policy and EU state subsidy rules - even although France and Germany subsidise their respective industries more than the UK.
It is unfair to criticise one lot of Bas****s over the other.
In the meantime we are stuck in the middle.

An interesting point. I looked it up and found this:

As an EU member state, the British government took little advantage of flexibilities: in 2018, the UK spent 0.38% of GDP on state aid, compared with 0.79% in France, 1.45% in Germany and 1.55% in Denmark.

I suppose this could be interpreted as either:
a) Through its belief in the free market the government has not used the opportunities allowed within the EU. Or...
b) The EU has favored France and Germany (and Denmark, who would have thought?) over UK in awarding state aid exemptions.

We've probably all got opinions on this and I've found contradictory arguments in favor of both interpretations. Of course, Macron pressing Barnier on French fishermen's rights in UK waters is another matter. That's simply a strong negotiating body negotiating with a weak negotiating body.
I certainly agree with cyrian that whatever the arguments we're caught in the middle.


EuroTrash Sep 23rd 2020 1:45 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 
I have also read that it's illogical for the UK to be making an issue out of state aid because EU constraints have not hampered it so far.
What seems extra daft is that I have also read that the UK Japan trade deal the UK has just signed, apparently the UK has accepted, sets state aid conditions that are similar to EU limits (some sources say they are actually more limiting). So you'd think that if the UK has already committed to those restrictions for Japan, it could call that its official policy and tell the EU what its policy is.
But I've got to the point that I take everything I read with a pinch of salt.

scrubbedexpat056 Sep 23rd 2020 2:46 pm

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 

Originally Posted by EuroTrash (Post 12913381)
But I've got to the point that I take everything I read with a pinch of salt.

Me too, but I have to watch my blood pressure. Very difficult in these trying times.
But we digress.

Helen1964 Sep 24th 2020 6:19 am

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 
Morning all

To return to the subject, has anyone investigated the possibility of opening a sterling account with their French bank?
From what I can gather, my bank, for example, the Société Générale, offers accounts in a range of currencies, including sterling.
I haven’t made any inquiries yet with my branch and among the points I would need to check are frais de gestion/tenue de compte, frais d’émission et de réception. I’m assuming the exchange rate would not be great so I’m wondering whether it would be possible to, say, use Transferwise to convert euros from my existing SG euro account into sterling and then transfer that sterling to the new SG sterling account. Or a sterling account with a different French bank.

I’ve used Transferwise very successfully to do transfers but I don’t have a Transferwise borderless account and would be very nervous about holding very large sterling sums there if they’re not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. I’m hoping to buy a house in England in the next few years and was planning to gradually build up a large amount of savings in sterling, doing transfers on those days when the exchange rate is particularly favorable.




Helen1964 Sep 24th 2020 8:03 am

Re: British bank accounts for expats
 
Incidentally, I just discovered that - at least up until now - Ulsterbank has been welcoming new customers who are not UK resident. I’m Northern Irish and can’t believe I didn’t know this.


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