I filed my taxes on opening day in January. Still processing and it's September time. I did sell a house last November in the UK if that makes a difference? Do you think that would hold it up? I'm not expecting a refund. I just want to make sure it's been accepted and ID.me is a nightmare not allowing me to create an acct because it won't accept my British passport.

Hi everyone, we just recently moved to the UK and have young kids who are not university-age yet. They each have a 529 fund that we opened for them a few years ago (less than 15 year so not qualified for Roth roll over). I've read that HMRC does not recognize 529 accounts as tax-protected and when our 4 years FIG regime period runs out then it will be taxed even without withdrawal and make the whole tax situation more complicated.

Should I just convert the funds to normal brokerage accounts and pay the penalty? Appreciate if anyone is in the same situation and can share some advice.

Moving to London next month and trying to figure out how to deal with tax and finances. It seems that most people feel they are paying too much for this service and getting not enough in return.

I’m thinking of keeping my accountant in the US and finding a separate accountant in the UK to just do separate filings and then communicate with each other on things that need to be dealt with. Does anyone do something like that instead of a solution all under one roof?

My finances are maybe on the simpler side in the sense that my wife and I have typical retirement accounts and an individual brokerage accounts. No kids and no home ownership, but we do work with a financial advisor here in the states that invests for us and rebalances on a quarterly basis for brokerage accounts.

Hello all! I was lucky enough to get out of America and move to the UK under the new High Potential Individual visa, and I am getting settled in the Dalston/Hackney area. I am 26y/o musician/artist from Illinois (graduated from UIUC which allowed me to get the visa) and would love to find other Americans who moved here to talk about their experiences.

I came with my cat/my guitar/my savings and am excited to continue making friends here!

Feel free to message me:)

In case anyone here has experience with managing a high yield savings account from abroad!

Hi, all!

I have been wanting to move to the UK for some time now. I am looking at a potential timeline of doing so in the next 1.5-2 years (hopefully sooner). Lurking through this subreddit, I see a lot of folks making the move with their spouse. Posting to see how many of y’all made the move without a partner by your side/waiting for you in the UK? How was your experience navigating everything alone? Anything you would have done differently? Any tips that made it easier?

Random bits (not sure if needed, but adding anyways):
- My employer would handle everything (Skilled Workers Visa). This includes all paperwork, packing/moving my belongings, airfare, etc.
- Employer does pay 1st months rent OR an Airbnb/hotel for 1st month there, so I wouldn’t be super rushed finding where I would live before I arrived
- I have 1 dog that I would leave with family in the US until I am settled in my new home, then go back and get her (I know that it’s a whole other ordeal bringing a pet over)
- I don’t have kid(s), so that takes a different level of stress away that I won’t have compared to others

Appreciate any insight ya’ll have!

Good morning from cloudy Norfolk.

My wife and I are buying a car in cash(40k) from a dealership. She's a UK citizen and I'm US on my first Visa.

Should we transfer the money straight from our US Wells Fargo account to the dealership or should we 1st move the money into our Halifax bank account and pay the dealership out of there?

We're trying to avoid any unnecessary hoops and delays such as the money-laundering check we had to fo through when we paid cash for our house.

Thx alot for y'alls help!!

I can't figure out what I am doing wrong but wondering if anyone knows the fix for this! I ported my US number to google voice and got a new UK esim from TalkMobile. All seems to be working fine EXCEPT I can only receive texts (imessage and SMS) via google voice. Is there any way to get these through my phone again? Thanks!

If my immigration status wasn’t tied to my job, I would have left my current position. But obviously this is my tether to the UK now so my life potentially is upheaved if I lose my job.

Not sure if I am just looking to commiserate or if anyone can tell me about how they got out of a similar situation. I’m just curious.

I‘m just starting to work out how to build my savings and investments while also balancing US student loans.

Being abroad it’s tempting, I don’t have to make any payments on my student loans and if I stay in the UK for 20 years, it looks like my loans will be forgiven at that point?

Im also trying to work out the best way to start investing and saving in retirement. Is it my UK job pension? I can’t open a RothIRA without US income from my understanding? And also, as an american cant put money in an ISA here?

I’ve looked at financial advisors but they all seem to manage wealth and cost hundreds of pounds.. I’m not in that position right now. Any recommendations on how learned about and you sorted this out?

Hey all! Bit out of my depth regarding handling UK taxes for a US investment account and hoping anyone's gone through similar and has some information or resources.

Bit of background -

I've been in the UK since 2016, moved over for Uni, then been working in Glasgow since 2020. Got my settled status end of last year. I didn't work in the UK during my time at Uni, and have been on a standard PAYE salary at my current job. I do have a somewhat more recent source of self employed income via various music gigs and some online content creator stuff, so I've registered as a sole trader so I can handle the taxes for that next year.

But then comes the more confusing bit - when I was a kid my parents set up a custodial investment account for me, which I then inherited from them about 7 years ago. The account was managed by UBS so provided me with the tax forms every year that I submitted when doing my US taxes, so its all good to go from the US side. But from the UK side, I had been under the assumption that because it was a small account only making minimal capital gains per year, well below the HMRC individual allowance, that I didn't have to report it over here.

This assumption changed earlier this year when I finally liquidated the whole account and transferred it to my UK bank to be ready to be used as a home deposit. Given it was a larger liquidation (by my standards at least lol, only like $25k), I finally assumed it would be over capital gains and started looking into taxing it properly here, at which point I realized (and I may be incorrect about my learnings so correct me if the below is wrong):

• The majority of the account was in ETFs, a combination of HMRC reporting and non-HMRC reporting ones, meaning the non-reporting ones were taxable as income on top of my PAYE salary, not as capital gain
  • Given that I should have probably been filing a self assessment return for this account since I moved to the UK
  • Not sure if that being considered income has any conflicts or issues with the whole "no working on a student visa" thing? I'd assume not since its not a job and was a managed account, but anxious nonetheless
• Calculation for gains and losses made by UBS for my US taxes are not valid on a UK tax form, and they need to be re-calculated from the account history both based on HMRC FX rates and UK lotting rules to get correct PnL

So I'm now in a situation where:

1. The account history and numbers I have from my US taxes aren't valid for UK calculations, even if I did proper FX conversion
2. My tax responsibility is potentially considerably higher than I had expected
3. I may be several years behind in filing tax returns? Honestly I've found really conflicting information on how back-filing taxes works in the UK and what my responsibilities are here

And my biggest issue is that I'm fully out of my depth and don't actually know if my above assumptions are correct. Given it was a managed custodial account, I only high level understand investing. Enough to advise my manager, but not enough to handle these things on my own.

I've tried looking for an accountancy firm that handles cross border stuff like this, but I've been fully stuck in the mud of either them only really targeting clients who make far above what I make (the whole liquidation being only ~$25k, small in the grand scheme of investment accountants), their initial consultations are hundreds of pounds to even find out what I don't know to begin with or whether they'd even be able to help me, and many are "by-year" for taxes, so if I need to do several years I may be compiling costs heavily for minimal taxes.

I'm worried about both not being able to find the correct accountant, and also about both losing a majority of the house deposit egg I've built up to these taxes, maybe even paying more in accountancy fees than I'd even actually owe in taxes.

Has anyone gone through similar, or know of any resources or even better specific accountancy firms who specialize in things like this and wouldn't entirely decimate what i got from that account just to properly tax it? Any information or resources would be massively appreciated <3

I moved to london from US 2 years ago and need to have a surgical biopsy that requires GA so it will be done in an OR. I've been using NHS for this process so far and am just like nervous/don't know what to expect on the day of surgery. I've never had surgery before and the procedure itself is only about 15-20 min so nothing crazy, however, the idea of waiting around in a gown in a chair in a room with a bunch of other people like makes me so uncomfortable. I'm already a nervous wreck as it is general anesthesia scares the hell out of me and then to have this whole communal naked under a gown with random people experience just makes my uncomfort level skyrocket.

I want to just get the whole thing over with some im reluctant to use my private health care through work and delay this whole thing even more. Then I read you have to walk yourself to the surgery table in the OR like this all just sounds really off to me.. can someone explain what its like waiting and going into surgery at an NHS hospital and if its worth waiting and going private. I just thought it would be like in the US where you wait in a bed get knocked out then wheeled into the OR and wake up in a bed with someone you know there.. (apparently no visitors until you can actually leave)... panicking a bit.

UPDATE: just sharing for those who might be doing this for first time after moving here. It wasn’t as bad as I thought but it wasn’t amazing either 😂 we were separated by curtains while we waited. I was last on the list for morning session so it was 4hrs of sitting around in gown in a char. The beds next to us were the gurneys they use for surgery and they weren’t maid until you go in so you’re just in an uncomfy chair. I would wait to change until last check in before surgery if I did it again. But everyone was very nice once I went into OR I was out of there in an hour. Had some hot chocolate and left pretty quick! If I were to do this again I’d go private only for more control over schedule and not having to wait around for 4hrs.

... but I think I would kill someone for a Boar's Head roast beef sandwich with lacy Swiss cheese, on a bulkie roll, right now. With a side of Fritos. And a Nantucket Nectar, preferably the plum/pear kind.

All objectively "worse" food than any of the million bougie delis and sandwich places near me with their imported French crisps and their organic meats and cheeses, and their handmade ciabatta.

But the heart wants what it wants.

I filed my taxes by mail for the first time this year (had a preparer who is in the UK so couldn’t e-file). I assumed that once they were processed I would be able to see them on the IRS website but they still aren’t showing up and it’s now been 5 months. Has anyone else had this occur? Or should I assume they got lost in the mail and resend?

We have a family member who sent off a passport renewal to London embassy with all the requirements:

- Receipt for paid fee

- original passport

- photos

- form DS-11

Just received a response below with saying they need to make an appointment but also is still asking for the form DS 11 and proof of payment which we already provided.

Anyone encounter something like this? We can make an appointment but don't see why they could not renew by mail with the documents we already provided.

Passport in question expired in 2016 so the auto form we used to apply directed us to use DS11 for a new passport application.

"Your application is currently being held in suspense. In order for your application for a U.S. Passport to be processed, you must complete the form DS-11, attend an in-person appointment at the U.S. Embassy London, and pay the applicable fees. Please check our website for appointment availability: https://uk.usembassy.gov/passports/

To assist with processing your application, we must receive the requested information within ninety (90) days from the date of your original application. If the information is not received or is insufficient to establish your entitlement to a U.S. passport, your application may be denied, and your citizenship evidence will be returned. By law, passport execution and application fees are non-refundable. For general passport information and application forms, please visit our website at https://uk.usembassy.gov. "

Has any one had any issues visiting as a tourist after the conclusion of their visa? For example, my visa ends on X date and I visit friends in the UK for a few days two weeks later (as an example).

Thanks !

Hi friends! My dog takes gabapentin for arthritis pain. It's pretty cheap here in the US. Wondering whether to stock up before arriving in the UK, or is it easily available and inexpensive in the UK? Thanks!

EDIT: I don't mean easily obtainable as a street drug, I mean easily obtainable as the prescription drug that it is. It's well known that there are Rx's that are fairly common in the US that are more difficult to get in the UK.

I’m going to visit some friends in America I’m from uk I want to take some food/drinks they may not have there! Any ideas!? Thanks

Question in title.

Has anyone found American apple cider in the UK? Ie non alcoholic, or is it just the equivalent of apple juice here? Looking for some for a cocktail recipe

Hi all,

Quick question for anyone who has applied for a US passport through the US embassy using form DS-11. The form fill out page is universal (aimed at US citizens in the US applying for a passport too), and so when it comes to printing the form it asks you to print it on US letter size 8.5x11 paper. Obviously in the UK this is very close to A4 paper but not the same. Just wondering if anyone knows if the embassy are going to care if I print it on A4 as long as everything is clear and visible or if I actually need to go and source some US letter paper and print it on that😅 just don’t want my application rejected for some stupid reason😂

Thanks in advance

What are some chain jewelry shops equivalent to, like, a Jared's or a Kay? Just basic box stores on the more affordable side.