RetireJapan

I don't remember having to have a guarantor for my mortgage. I do remember having a guarantor for apartments and retail units that we have rented in the past and still do. Japanese people on the whole do not want to be guarantors for rentals only if they are a close family member.

I still pay by cheque with one that was sent out from Lloyds about 10 years ago. During Covid they said they wouldn't take cheques for NICs but they have restarted. However, they do not take cheques for income tax from the online tax return. They will not allow you to complete the tax return until t...

First things first, talk to your mum about what is in her will and work from there in relation to inheritance tax. Of course, you will have to ask your mum about what the position is of her husband. It is a difficult conversation but don't put it off, it's not morbid either.

Thank you TokyoDon for the document. "Private" and "public" is neither here nor there then for pension tax it seems. I am weighing up adding money to my private pension to get the government 20% refund for up to the last three years. Since Japan tax rules will apply (and so UK r...

On the whole HMRC's self-assessment tax return for rental income for Brits residing abroad if you have a Gateway account is a pretty pain free process. Although now you can't fully complete the tax return until they have all your bank details and the tax due is being electronically transferred to HM...

Many good recommendations, anyone knows banks which do not penalize for extra repayments? In general which ones are good/best (noted and AU and Paypay)? I am planning to put 20% cash, the rest to finance. SMBC have no penalties if you repay early by internet banking. However, if you pay at the phys...

No, but I would like to! I clearly don't qualify to pay Class 2 under the posted rules, as I never worked in the UK but came here straight from uni... Me, too. As in straight from Uni. I got 16–18-year-old period covered because I was in full time education. However, even though I worked a part tim...

I have been contributing to the UK state pension from Japan for about twenty years now with class 3 contributions with annual payments by cheque to HMRC. It is a great deal even at just over 900 pounds a year. However, every other Brit I meet in Japan who is paying voluntary NICs has been able to pa...

It was an old City grandee who said the currency of country is like its share price for that country. If lots of money is being made~economy doing well in the country, then value of the currency will go up. The Japanese economy really hasn't grown over the last thirty years.

Hi there, My stockbrokers told me a couple of years ago that non-residing Britons couldn't hold unit trusts in the UK any longer, which was rather annoying to say the least. I have no experience with declaring dividend income on a UK tax return, but I have done a UK tax return for rental income for...