Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
#46
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
No idea - as I said, my friend, who is a City banker and has looked into this for his own situation, says there is case law on it and a slight danger that it can happen. He advised taking the UKC off our UK accounts and just holding them in the name of the USC. Domicile is certainly not unitary in the eyes of the IR - so proving domicile somewhere else isn't the same as proving you are (were) not domiciled in the UK.
If you hold a lot of real estate in the UK then domicile may not matter - UK based assets may fall into the Inheritance Tax net anyway. And if you don't have much UK real property, then how are the Inland Revenue even going to know about your estate, let alone try to collect estate tax in another country. UK tax officials cannot demand that the authorities of another country or territory collect tax for them.
I would think that moving bank accounts to the Isle of Man would be a better option than taking them out of joint names.
#47
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
As to how the IR finds out - I don't know, are there reporting requirements on banks and/or solicitors acting as executors? How does the IR usually find out. Just because they can't enforce collection in the US doesn't make me that comfortable if it means an effective ban from the UK for my heirs.
Anyway, I've adequately demonstrated I don't know enough about this to provide advice - if anyone cares ask someone who is an expert in it.
#48
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
How does the IR usually find out. Just because they can't enforce collection in the US doesn't make me that comfortable if it means an effective ban from the UK for my heirs.
As you say - get professional advice if sums are important. But do discuss with such adviser the points noted above : how will Inland Revenue even know about a foreign estate, and even if they do find out, what effective right have they to collect tax in a foreign jurisdiction. It may be that the maximum effective Inheritance Tax liability of the estate is limited to the total of UK-located net assets, and in the case of bank accounts, these can be minimised by moving to the Isle of Man.
Also note - tax is one reason for arranging one's finances in a particular way, but not the *only* reason.
#49
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Posts: 62
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
I assume you are all talking about current accounts. I have a few savings accounts in the UK, and some require you to be a UK resident which I doubt would send out statements to the US etc. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone does have savings accounts and have not had a problem with this.
cheers
cheers
#50
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: The Big Apple
Posts: 1,834
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
I assume you are all talking about current accounts. I have a few savings accounts in the UK, and some require you to be a UK resident which I doubt would send out statements to the US etc. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone does have savings accounts and have not had a problem with this.
cheers
cheers
#51
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
I keep open UK bank accounts with HSBC and Cahoot, Visa card, american express and a cash ISA. Both VISA and Amex are aware I am abroad, the HSBC, ISA and Cahoot don't.
Class 2 contributions ... not worth the bother and I read somewhere you can't make them anyway if you are a foreign resident. There were moves afoot to bring the minimum years for qualification to a UK pension to 35, and the Dept of Work and Pensions advised me before I left NOT to make a top up payment as I was 5 years short of a full pension, because it might well be a waste of money.
Class 2 contributions ... not worth the bother and I read somewhere you can't make them anyway if you are a foreign resident. There were moves afoot to bring the minimum years for qualification to a UK pension to 35, and the Dept of Work and Pensions advised me before I left NOT to make a top up payment as I was 5 years short of a full pension, because it might well be a waste of money.
#52
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
I
Class 2 contributions ... not worth the bother and I read somewhere you can't make them anyway if you are a foreign resident. There were moves afoot to bring the minimum years for qualification to a UK pension to 35, and the Dept of Work and Pensions advised me before I left NOT to make a top up payment as I was 5 years short of a full pension, because it might well be a waste of money.
Class 2 contributions ... not worth the bother and I read somewhere you can't make them anyway if you are a foreign resident. There were moves afoot to bring the minimum years for qualification to a UK pension to 35, and the Dept of Work and Pensions advised me before I left NOT to make a top up payment as I was 5 years short of a full pension, because it might well be a waste of money.
#54
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
I assume you are all talking about current accounts. I have a few savings accounts in the UK, and some require you to be a UK resident which I doubt would send out statements to the US etc. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone does have savings accounts and have not had a problem with this.
Exceptions seem to be the "internet" banks like "Egg", "Smile" etc - people have reported hassles here. But not with High Street banks.
Some banks will de-activate an account that becomes "dormant" but that varies from one institution to another.
#56
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
One thing I did have a problem with was putting my US hubby on my UK bank account, one that I have had most of my life (the account that is! )
After Sept 11 Lloyds/TSB changed the way they did business a little and would not allow a foreign national to have joint ownership of a current account. I faught tooth and nail to get them to waive this as I have been an account holder with them for ever but they would not budge.
The only thing they would do for us was put his name on the account allowing him to physically go into a branch and take money out with proof of ID, but he is not allowed to have any type of card in his name and he is not allowed to do any transactions over the phone etc.
After Sept 11 Lloyds/TSB changed the way they did business a little and would not allow a foreign national to have joint ownership of a current account. I faught tooth and nail to get them to waive this as I have been an account holder with them for ever but they would not budge.
The only thing they would do for us was put his name on the account allowing him to physically go into a branch and take money out with proof of ID, but he is not allowed to have any type of card in his name and he is not allowed to do any transactions over the phone etc.
Last edited by blaze; Feb 10th 2007 at 3:43 pm.
#57
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
One thing I did have a problem with was putting my US hubby on my UK bank account, one that I have had most of my life (the account that is! )
After Sept 11 Lloyds/TSB changed the way they did business a little and would not allow a foreign national to have joint ownership of a current account. I faught tooth and nail to et them to waive this as I have been an account holder with them for ever but they would not budge.
The only thing they would do for us was put his name on the account allowing him to physically go into a branch and take money out with proof of ID, but he is not allowed to have any type of card in his name and he is not allowed to do any transactions over the phone etc.
After Sept 11 Lloyds/TSB changed the way they did business a little and would not allow a foreign national to have joint ownership of a current account. I faught tooth and nail to et them to waive this as I have been an account holder with them for ever but they would not budge.
The only thing they would do for us was put his name on the account allowing him to physically go into a branch and take money out with proof of ID, but he is not allowed to have any type of card in his name and he is not allowed to do any transactions over the phone etc.
but it took a bit of underhand manourvering
#58
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
After Sept 11 Lloyds/TSB changed the way they did business a little and would not allow a foreign national to have joint ownership of a current account. I faught tooth and nail to et them to waive this as I have been an account holder with them for ever but they would not budge.
The only thing they would do for us was put his name on the account allowing him to physically go into a branch and take money out with proof of ID, but he is not allowed to have any type of card in his name and he is not allowed to do any transactions over the phone etc.
The only thing they would do for us was put his name on the account allowing him to physically go into a branch and take money out with proof of ID, but he is not allowed to have any type of card in his name and he is not allowed to do any transactions over the phone etc.
#60
Re: Maintaining UK bank accounts and Credit cards
In that case you should complain to Head Office (it may be an over-zealous branch officer) or alternatively find another bank. There is definitely no bar on a foreign citizen holding a UK bank account.
How do you think other immigrants to the UK manage? Or how the City of London manages to survive?
A last resort fall-back is to open an account at a bank branch in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. They are used to dealing with people with overseas links.
How do you think other immigrants to the UK manage? Or how the City of London manages to survive?
A last resort fall-back is to open an account at a bank branch in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. They are used to dealing with people with overseas links.