Woody W.

Cindy,

The W7 instructions clearly state that the "US Notary" is available at the
consulate or embasy. Within the US, notarization is a state-level function.
Outside, it looks to be a "Department of State"-level function. I think you
may be stuck paying the $30.

Two possible outs, however:
1. In the UK, notarization is a much more formal process than in the US,
and is done by solicitors with an added certification in the area. (it costs
a bundle, too) Did you clarify to the consulate that your request is for use
by the IRS, and not within the UK?

2. Another option on the W7 is for your proof to be a copy "certified by
the issuing agency". You might have better (and cheaper) luck getting that.

Good Luck!

- Woody -

"cindyabs" wrote in message
news:438437.1034187831@britishexpats-
.com...
    > Originally posted by ukemigrant:
    > >
    > >
    > > Are you sure the US Embassy in London will be charging for
    > > notarisation of any visa-related documents? My USC wife got her I-864
    > > notarised in Belfast and was not charged anything because it was for
    > > immigration purposes.
    > >
    > > Sam.
    > This is for the IRS, not INS so technically it's not visa related. It's
    > the W7 we are all supposed to file for for our spouse for a tax payer ID
    > number BEFORE they get their social security number. Since he's in UK
    > and me here, I do have to list myself on taxes as married and account
    > for him somehow. So have to do the form and they require it to be
    > accompanied with a US notarized NOT UK motarized copy of birth
    > certificate or passport........A major pain.........But I gotta say I
    > think charging 30 bucks for one document to be notarized is a rip off.
    > Someone earlier in this thread had said it's a bargain.........maybe in
    > UK, but surely not in US where you can get it done for free
    > sometimes........
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

UK_US_Attorney

As an English solicitor and US attorney practicing in England, there are some points which need to be made clear. One may sign a document before an English solicitor and swear an oath, or affirm, that the contents of a document are true. You may not do this before a U.S. attorney. This however is not the same as a notarisation.

In most of the world, notary publics are specially trained lawyers who may be required to carry insurance, keep copies of all documents they notarise, and may "authenticate" documents.

In the U.S. notary publics are very different. They are not required to be lawyers, nor required to carry insurance or keep copies of documents notarised. They certainly do not have any power to authenticate documents. This may also be why they are less expensive.

Notaries generally only have the power to notarise documents within the particular state or nation's borders. You may note that in Florida and Alabama a new type of notary has been created, the "civil law notary". These notaries are specially trained U.S. lawyers who can authenticate documents and notarise documents not only in their own states but throughout the U.S. and abroad. If there are any Florida or Alabama civil law notaries in London they might be able to notarise for you your US documents.

By the way, the IRS won't accept anything but a US notary's stamp. Also, $30 is a bargain as it is quite common for English notary fees to be £40 to £60. I have seen when I represent English people buying property in Florida them paying up to £180 for the notarisation of the closing documents, especially where lenders are involved.

Kevin Burke

UK_US_Attorney

I must amend what I said before about what the IRS will accept in the notarisation of identification documents for the ITIN W& application.

The IRS will accept the notaristion of the identification documents by an UK notary who provides an apostille from the foreign and commonwealth office along with the notarised copies.

Kevin Burke

Ray

I believe there are .. I read something about that recently ......
I will try and find it ...

Ray

As the above poster says civillaw notaries...
this is the one I saw ...http://www.bennettlaw.co.uk/us/notary.html

But bet its more than $40

Here I get a mere $10 ...

LOL... same guy as above ...

Big D

Wow - is this the oldest thread ever to get resurrected?

Rockgurl

I had many documents notarized in England for US nursing boards, and also the INS (or whatever it's now called) and they were all accepted. It's seems so funny to me that in the US IRS would make a fuss about having to have something notarized by a US notary when I was able to just walk into the local UPS Store in CT and have some guy behind the counter "notarize" something for me when he obviously has no legal standing and doesn't know a thing about me, and yet in England I had to make an appointment with a solicitor to get any documents notarized and had to show my birth certificate and passport and swear an oath that the document was real and valid. They should be GLAD it was notarized in the UK!

UK_US_Attorney

As Ray said above, the fees of English notaries public are higher than notaries public in the US.

Keep in mind that to now become a English notary public you must be a lawyer or have the equivalent of a law degree and undertake a post graduate course with the University of Cambridge which normally takes two years (although it could be done in one year). You can find English notaries at http://www.thenotariessociety.org.uk.

As I help my British buyers of Florida property with their purchases and do US estate planning, I took the Florida civil notary course and became a Florida civil law notary on 21 December 2004. To become a Florida civil law notary, you have to be a Florida lawyer for at least five years and again take exams, etc. However, I am not in London but in Bristol.

Rockgurl said that she saw a solicitor to have her nursing documents notarised. I must point out that not all solicitors are notaries. This is a common misconception. I recently saw where a Florida title agent/closing agent accepted a deed for the transfer of Florida property in which a solicitor (who was not a notary) had signed in the space for notaries. This deed was defective as under Florida law as there was no notary. The title agency had told the English solicitor he could sign where a notary would sign. They had of course permitted - acting as the escrow agents - that the seller take the proceeds notwithstanding that good title was not given. ...And they say that you don't need a lawyer as you have title agents?

Kevin Burke

Ray

Thank you Kevin .. thats enough self promotion from you ....

Now if you need anything notarized in Florida ..............

UK_US_Attorney

Ray,

No problem,

I was wondering if you could answer a question of mine. I have had on two recent occasions had clients who had were going out to Florida and brought trusts to be notarised when they were there. In both cases they asked Florida notaries to notarise the trusts and were refused. Apparently the notaries both said that they could not notarise legal documents. I don't understand what was the problem. Can you shed any light on this?

Thanks

Kevin

fatbrit

There's certainly a recent problem in some states in that they have tightened the rules for acceptable documents to prove identity. Here in AZ, the rules now specify that the document proving identity must be an identification issued by the United States government, or a state, or tribal government containing the individual’s photograph, signature, and written physical description that includes height, weight, color of hair, and color of eyes.

This makes it bloody difficult getting anything notarized by anyone who can't get a state driver license or identity card. there are ways round it, e.g. the oath or affirmation of a credible person who personally knows the individual and who provides satisfactory evidence of identity -- but it's becoming a big problem.

I have no idea why a notary couldn't do "a legal document". Sounds poppycock to me.

P.S. We eat attorneys for breakfast on this board.

Ray

I would ... Some people are scared off by foreign identity evidence
But then I am well travelled ... I have been to Bristol...

meauxna

Damn your hide for resurecting such an old thread--here's me wondering what the heck Cindy's doing back in Cornwall and why The Man doesn't have his SS# yet.
Be a dude and ask the moderator to split your thread out. You could've always linked back to the post you wanted to correct.

fatbrit

He's an attorney! Nuff said!

meauxna

Now, where exactly does that fall on the FB Drone scale?