HMRC access to non-UK residents

I have been a non-resident landlord for the past 12 years and have been able to lodge my SA return online, albeit through 3rd party software which was relatively cheap and easy to use. The authorization process was available through Digidentity which I was able to set up remotely. I was also able to login to Government Gateway/HMRC by using the app on my phone with a non UK phone number. This has now all changed now with the verification process only through Government Gateway/HMRC and it is ridiculous that non residents can only be verified online through a passport they don't have and a drivers license they don't have. This is extremely archaic given the available verification methods? Can HRMC advise why non residents have to submit a tax return when they can not access online services??

Hi
 

Steve Smith,

We are unable to comment of HMRC policy. Thank you.

 

I 'm a foreigner, I don't have a UK passport and I don't have driving licence and I don't have and never had credits. The only option I can choose is Payslip or P60. Your registration process doesn't work for foreigners like me! How can I access my National Insurance record? You previously replied to a user with same issue that the process would change in July, It's October and it still doesn't work!

I too cannot logon to GOV services to obtain information about my pension. I need a document that shows the number of years that I have contributed to my state pension in order to claim a French one. I have been going round in circles following exactly the same issues described above. It was not like this 2 years ago when I last checked my pension rights. I hope the situation is resolved soon.

It seems, having followed this thread for a couple of years, that this situation is isolating all ex-pats who have legitimate claims for pensions and access to their information. There has to be a way to validate identities without relying on irrelevant post codes! I understand the security concerns but must point out that citizens of the UK regardless of domicile are being unfairly prejudiced which is having profoundly negative effects on their lives. I for one will be writing to a number of Members of Parliament to raise this issue as it appears HMRC does not have necessary will to remedy this injustice! I would like the owners of this Forum to supply all of us with names, addresses and emails of those we can complain to, because this Forum is not focused on a solution. Please reply with requested information.

Hi,

You can find guidance on how to complain about HMRC here:

Complain about HMRC

Thank you.

Good afternoon, We are unable to raise complaints on this issue as that also requires a sign in. May we therefore request the HMRC admin forum moderator to escalate this issue to their supervisor as it is clearly affecting a large number of users. This is a serious matter as it prevents access to personal tax and pension entitlement information for legitimate non-resident UK taxpayers. We therefore request that you kindly copy/paste the below and forward to the relevant department. 1. Since January 2022, non-resident UK taxpayers living abroad have been unable to access their HMRC accounts due to the new login security checks 2. Evidently, the new system now requires either a current UK address and/or valid driving license to complete login. Non-resident taxpayers normally do not have either one or both of these. 3. Prior to this, Google Authenticator was used to confirm and verify user login data and the system could be accessed from abroad 3. Taxpayers who are non-resident are therefore unable to check their pension/personal tax status and/or avail of the HMRC site facilities. This includes the facility for raising a complaint, which effectively leaves them with no direct communication channel with the HMRC 4. UK residents and family members are also unable to act as representative of non-resident taxpayers as this also requires HMRC login 5. On behalf of all non-resident UK taxpayers, we request that the system be updated in a manner which doesn’t not exclude non-residents from accessing the site and exercising the same rights as resident UK taxpayers and citizens Kind regards,

Hi,
 

We are unable to deal with complaints on this forum.  You would need to write a letter of complaint to HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AS.  One of my colleagues in our complaints department would then be able to review your complaint and reply to you. We are unable to deal with complaints on this forum.  Thank you.

TMK01 wasn't asking you to deal with a complaint. He was asking you to forward the complaint to the relevant department, which would be a reasonably easy thing to do, wouldn't it? I think the response shows what we are up against with this issue.

Hi,
 

We are not able to pass this to the relevenant department, this would need to be raised as a complaint by telephone or in writing : Make a complaint about HMRC    . Thank you.

I have a UK address but don't have the NI no. to get through the ID verification when trying to assess HMRC online via Gateway. How can I get through this problem with my UK passport or any other acceptable documents.

Hi,

If you do not have a National Insurance number you will not be able to pass the verification.

Thank you.

Hi all, I was having this problem too and a friend told me if you opt to scan your UK passport instead of entering info manually (where it ends up asking for a UK postcode that we don't have) then it works. And it did! You have to download a gov verify app to scan your passport and your face and then you are in. We both did it this evening to look at pension forecasts. 

Hi. I am non resident and looking to increase my NI contributions to increase my pension. I am able to see from my Gateway Account "Check you State Pension forecast” how much I can pay for each year. What it does not explain is how to pay and what reference to give when payment is made. I have made payments in the past so I do have a reference from before. Will this work? My wife is in a similar situation but has not made previous payments. How does she obtain a reference? What is also not clear is that if I make some of the back payments, but not all, how does it allocate to each year - oldest or most recent? Finally, what is also not clear is how much each additional payment will increase my Forecast and whether payment in full will achieve the Maximum available. Your help appreciated

For all those like me who were unable to supply the correct documentation to get through the security checks, There is now an APP that actually works to help log in. The app uses the details from the bio features of your passport and the features of your smart phone. I live in Norway and was unable to get access to HMRC before this. Just follow the security questions as before and at some point you will be presented with the option of using your smart phone and the app. I hope this helps others to get access to theirt details.

Hi Bob Olivier,

Depending on what you mean by non-resident you may be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions to the UK.

If you are overseas you can read the NI38 leaflet on GOV.UK and apply to pay voluntary NICs from abroad. If you want to apply there is a CF83 application held towards the end of the NI38 information.

Social Security abroad: NI38

If you are in the UK then there are different conditions for voluntary National Insurance contributions.

You can also contact the National Insurance team for further advice.

National Insurance: general enquiries

Thank you.
 

Thanks to Sarah's suggestion, I was able to load the GOV.UK ID Check app and scan my husband's passport photo and chip details and that was all it needed to be able to access his Government Gateway account. We had been trying for days and made international calls (waited over an hour for no response!) to try and sort this out to no avail. Thank you, Sarah!

I'm a non-resident foreigner with no UK passport who never lived in the UK. I am being asked to provide a UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) by the UK fund management company into which I invested some money. I read online that in order to obtain a UTR I need to know my NI number, which I cannot possibly have. How a foreigner who has never lived in the country, who has no UK address, no Government Gateway ID, no National Insurance number can pay capital gain taxes to the UK? Thank you

Hi KirklandArchitect,

You will need to register using the fill in, print and post form:

Register for Self Assessment

Thank you. 

Spent a while reading the last few years worth of messages and can only reiterate that the way of registering without a uk address is to - 1. Use the app option which is available when it comes to the confirming identity stage. Don't choose the option to enter the details manually as it will always fail if you cannot enter a UK address. 2. Scan the QR code and follow instructions to photograph the passport and yourself. It's a bit complicated and I found that I needed to have the pc and phone open to methodically follow the instructions regarding taking the photos and reading the passport chip with the mobile phone BUT IT WORKED. I was able to instantly access my NI contributions history and pension entitlement. From the staff responses above, Its clear that they had no idea what advice to give. So thanks to the above contributors who did know.