I've received a letter from Santander Bank asking for my tax details that has me flummoxed.

 

Question 1. Am I American. If not provide evidence. What is that all about.  They know I'm British.

Question 2. Individual Tax Residency. They want a TIN number. If I can't provided one they want to know why. I've no idea what a TIN number is.

Has anyone else had a similar request or can shed some light on the matter. Cheers,

I've had the same thing from several banks, seems to be largely a box-checking thing. TIN is Tax Identification Number. If you're living in Thailand, just go to your local tax office and get a Thai tax number and then you can give that to the bank, worked for me.

Santander contacted me too . quick answer i still have an account for my pension to be paid into .Other than that no saving accounts as i am not resident in the UK .

Had one from Virgin One (Now NatWest) who told me if I didn’t provide one they might have to notify the Thailand Tax authority of the approx £2 interest they pay me per year for keeping my mortgage in credit. 
 

As an aside my mate got a call from them, they’re closing his account in September (he closed his mortgage out with them when he sold his house but maintained a current account)  & have he needs to make alternative banking arrangements

 

A lot of reports of UK banks closing Expats accounts & I’d be concerned that providing them with a TIN is confirming to them that I am an Expat (use my parents address for all correspondence). 

It's all to do with the international bank compliance on money laundering.  Banks and governments want to know which countries you are earning and paying tax.  Each country can issue you with a TIN.

 

I wouldn't go haphazardly obtaining a TIN in Thailand, as that means you have to declare potentially having multi tax residency to your bank- and subject to scrutiny by your friendly tax officials.

 

Second hand information - a Brit told me that if you don't have a UK TIN number, you can apply for one online, or use your National Insurance number instead.

On 7/5/2023 at 5:57 AM, Gsxrnz said:

I wouldn't go haphazardly obtaining a TIN in Thailand, as that means you have to declare potentially having multi tax residency to your bank- and subject to scrutiny by your friendly tax officials.

 

Unfortunately your UK bank might prove insistent on your providing them with some sort of local TIN, though. One way in which you might be able to fob them off, however, without having to make a special trip to your local RD office (which, in turn, could set alarm bells ringing at their end, as you say) would simply be to provide your UK bank with the 13-digit "ID card number" on your latest COVID vaccination certificate (60xxxxxxxxxxx in my case). I distinctly recall it being stated somewhere on here some time ago that the TIN for a Thai national is the same as their ID card number.

HSBC sent me a Individual Tax Residency Self-Certification Form to complete and return in 2017. This was what I put on the form. Never heard anything since.

 

 

Thanks for the replies.

I was hesitant to get a Thai TIN so as I'm taxed at source in the UK I gave them my NI number which I read on a HRMC site is used as a TIN for the majority of UK citizens.

I also mentioned I had no assets, income or business in Thailand and invited them to read the 1981 UK-Thailand Tax convention.

On 7/5/2023 at 10:13 AM, SussexExpat said:

I've received a letter from Santander Bank asking for my tax details that has me flummoxed.

 

Question 1. Am I American. If not provide evidence. What is that all about.  They know I'm British.

Question 2. Individual Tax Residency. They want a TIN number. If I can't provided one they want to know why. I've no idea what a TIN number is.

Has anyone else had a similar request or can shed some light on the matter. Cheers,

Got two from an oz bank i binned them. now my UK bank and OZ bank just have a box to tick when logged in.

I am a Brit and bank with RBC Jersey. They sent the same form to me as previously posted.  Regarding TIN I just write reason A "Not Legally Required". I also have a Wells Fargo US account and they have a box to tick regarding TIN with "not legally required" as reason for no TIN.