[Propowner]

My bank in the UK is asking about my tax residency. They know that I live in Hong Kong, but they don't know if it is a 'permanent' address or not. I have no plans in the near future (5 years or more) to return to the UK. I have no assets in the UK besides a small amount of savings in that UK bank.

The bank wants me to provide a 'certificate of tax residence' for Hong Kong. Is this easy to get from the Inland Revenue in Wanchai? If I do get it what are the implications for me in the UK, if any? As an alternative, could I just say that my address is not a permanent one, and keep the status quo?

Thanks

[MovingIn07]

if you are not "ordinarily resident" in the UK you do not have to pay UK tax on income there - so usually a good thing. But then again, I never had to provide any certificates to prove this or anything.

[dynamco]

previously you had to sign a UK form that showed you had emigrated.
Presumably since you are living here you will have a HK ID card and a chop in your passport showing your permission to land and work here as long as you are in the employment of---employer name
You should copy this to your bank or go to the UK Consulate and sort it. Your employer would have to complete a form when they employed you to the Inland Revenue Dept here notifying them so you should ask for a copy of that.
The UK and HKG have a taxation agreement whereby if you pay tax in HK on what you earn here you do not have to pay UK tax but if you spend more than 3 months in UK a year it gets complicated .

[pin]

Originally Posted by dynamco

previously you had to sign a UK form that showed you had emigrated.
Presumably since you are living here you will have a HK ID card and a chop in your passport showing your permission to land and work here as long as you are in the employment of---employer name
You should copy this to your bank or go to the UK Consulate and sort it. Your employer would have to complete a form when they employed you to the Inland Revenue Dept here notifying them so you should ask for a copy of that.
The UK and HKG have a taxation agreement whereby if you pay tax in HK on what you earn here you do not have to pay UK tax but if you spend more than 3 months in UK a year it gets complicated .

hmmm, i am pretty sure there is NO double tax treaty between the UK and HK, therefore any income (including interest income on bank accounts) has to be declared in both countries.

[hk.com]

I have the same issue as Propowner, but with Spain. I think the IRD has to issue it.

[Propowner]

Is a HK tax return the same as 'certificate of tax residence'?

"previously you had to sign a UK form that showed you had emigrated."

I have never signed any form in the UK saying I have emigrated. Nor do I really want to. I prefer the status quo to continue whereby UK tax authorities are unaware of my residency status in Hong Kong, as at the moment I pay no or very little tax in that country.