Citizenship

I replied to your question...
"But again I ask....If I were to just put a couple of made up names/addresses in there....likely I wouldn't get caught."

It does seem to read that those who get caught at the time might be better off (if they are allowed to keep their Settlement ) while those who lose ILR as they have British Citizenship, do not get Settlement back if their British citizenship is removed.

Of the US
it's not a war torn country and the US has better healthcare than the UK .
If you have enough money....I agree.

That what US citizens appear to be claiming when they askled for asylum in the UK, but as the medical care was available in their own country (even if they couldn't afford it) they were refused asylum. I don't think they understand that the UK hasn't found a money tree and even if it should be covered by the various NHS, people die in the UK too/are in pain, because they can't afford healthcare either.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/living-dying-pain-victims-wales-25973385

To stop them receiving limited free NHS treatment while waiting to be refused asylum, the US was added to the list of countries whose citizens cannot claim asylum. EU citizens were also added to that list too on Brexit.

Germany likey has the best healthcare but that is because everybody has to pay, either through their employer of from their own funds if they don't work/have retired and don't contribute to Germany.

I'm not sure how correct this?
https://www.davidsonmorris.com/referee-for-british-citizenship/

I've been a bit lucky in where I live while here in the UK....Harrogate seems to do ok on getting appointments etc. My local surgery usually gets us in within a couple of weeks......once I was here permanently I killed off my US Govt insurance and took out private care here....basically if the local surgery can't get us fixed up or referred on within a couple of weeks... then they will get hold of the Spire hospital facility in Leeds. Still a lot cheaper than paying for US health insurance. 

I've still been trying to get a National Insurance number so I can do my taxes online....the last tax guy I talked to said it would be easier to get a Nat Number if I were a citizen....

You don't need to be a British citizen to get a NINo. You ususally apply for a NINo when you work.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number

You could try reading through the Guidance for Home Office staff for
 "Naturalisation as a British citizen by discretion" if that is any help?
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1180168/Naturalisation_as_British_citizen_by_discretion.pdf

I've still been trying to get a National Insurance number so I can do my taxes online....the last tax guy I talked to said it would be easier to get a Nat Number if I were a citizen....and there are a number of banks I was barred from putting savings into since they didn't do business with Americans....those are just in my wife's name.

Strange though it may seem, you don't need a National Insurance number (NINO) to do an HMRC self assessment tax return and in fact I just checked both ours and our daughter's and no NINO appears on the form, there is field for it but the tax preparer leaves it blank.  What IS needed is a Unique Taxpayer Reference number (UTR), and you apply for that online when you are getting ready to do a self assessment.

The NINO is only used to pay into and then claim your State Pension (OAP).  If you have never worked in the UK for a UK company and don't plan to then you won't ever need one.  Our daughter has never worked in UK or paid NI contributions so didn't need one to do her Self Assessment for tax year 22-23 (she moved to England in November, 2022).  Her US company finally got around to transferring her to their UK company well after April, 2023 and she now has a NINO and is paying NI. For the UK tax year 23-24 she will have a part year being part directly by her US company in USD into her US bank and the rest of the year being paid by her UK company into her UK bank.

PS

When our daughter applied for a NINO this year the reason she gave for wanting one was that she intended to work here.  Our son went through the same process when he moved back in 2017.  The process of getting one took many weeks back then and he was actually working for over a month before one was issued and he was able to give it to his employer so NI could be properly registered in his name.

If you don't have a NINO and don't intend to work then you may well not be issued one.

I just applied for citizenship. I can assure you that once you get to the citizenship section, it prompts you for referee #1 and asks for name, address, contact number, email address, how known, passport number and profession. Then it asks for referee #2. I can't remember if it was #1 or #2 that was the professional referee but you do have to fill them out in the correct order.

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I just applied for citizenship. I can assure you that once you get to the citizenship section, it prompts you for referee #1 and asks for name, address, contact number, email address, how known, passport number and profession. Then it asks for referee #2. I can't remember if it was #1 or #2 that was the professional referee but you do have to fill them out in the correct order.

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I used this application from the Govt site https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/next It seems to be a Beta version though. I tried it twice with two different emails (my Hotmail account it didn't seem to like and didn't send a verification). I got so many pages in and it got to a page that wanted Referee info, but unless it was on the following pages (very possible), they weren't asking for passport, email stuff. And....I couldn't go on to the next page until I had completed that page.....so I've no idea what further info they were going to ask. If I decide to go ahead with citizenship....seems like the paper version might spell things out with more detail. Both my Referees were good ones though....the guy I golf with used to have secret clearance (actually, several of my golfing friends had secret clearance), and the other is my local councilor.

I used this application from the Govt site https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/next It seems to be a Beta version though. I tried it twice with two different emails (my Hotmail account it didn't seem to like and didn't send a verification). I got so many pages in and it got to a page that wanted Referee info, but unless it was on the following pages (very possible), they weren't asking for passport, email stuff. And....I couldn't go on to the next page until I had completed that page.....so I've no idea what further info they were going to ask. If I decide to go ahead with citizenship....seems like the paper version might spell things out with more detail. Both my Referees were good ones though....the guy I golf with used to have secret clearance (actually, several of my golfing friends had secret clearance), and the other is my local councilor.

It's on the following pages.

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Strange though it may seem, you don't need a National Insurance number (NINO) to do an HMRC self assessment tax return and in fact I just checked both ours and our daughter's and no NINO appears on the form, there is field for it but the tax preparer leaves it blank.  What IS needed is a Unique Taxpayer Reference number (UTR), and you apply for that online when you are getting ready to do a self assessment.

The NINO is only used to pay into and then claim your State Pension (OAP).  If you have never worked in the UK for a UK company and don't plan to then you won't ever need one.  Our daughter has never worked in UK or paid NI contributions so didn't need one to do her Self Assessment for tax year 22-23 (she moved to England in November, 2022).  Her US company finally got around to transferring her to their UK company well after April, 2023 and she now has a NINO and is paying NI. For the UK tax year 23-24 she will have a part year being part directly by her US company in USD into her US bank and the rest of the year being paid by her UK company into her UK bank.

When I tried to do the online self assessment the last time....I got to a part where they insisted I give them a Nat Insurance number. I have the UTR and a number of years ago they gave me a "temporary" Nat Insurance number.....can't remember why. But it was short one digit so it doesn't work.

I have since again tried to get a Nat Insurance number.....tax person told me to try form CA5403 this time. Basically I begged them to give me one so I could do it online. The paper version isn't hard though.....hell of a lot easier than doing US taxes. The other issue I had with mailing the self assessment in.....getting lost in the mail. Last year, the first one didn't get out of Harrogate before it vanished. Sent another one in....it got there. This year.....mailed the first one in Special delivery/guaranteed next day etc etc.....vanished in the Midlands. A couple of weeks later I do my taxes again......shazam....vanished again. After waiting 30 minutes to talk to a tax person...I explained how my mail just isn't getting there. He replies....."we got the first one, we just don't sign for them because it's too much work".....and Royal Mail doesn't make any notes either, so.....you have no idea if it gets there.

It's on the following pages.

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Yeah.....I get that. The problem I had was there was nothing that I saw beginning the form that stated exactly what info they were going to ask for. But the paper version evidently spelled it out. I just felt like an idiot because I asked my referees for a bit of info.....then had to go back to ask for a little more.....

When I tried to do the online self assessment the last time....I got to a part where they insisted I give them a Nat Insurance number. I have the UTR and a number of years ago they gave me a "temporary" Nat Insurance number.....can't remember why. But it was short one digit so it doesn't work.

I have since again tried to get a Nat Insurance number.....tax person told me to try form CA5403 this time. Basically I begged them to give me one so I could do it online. The paper version isn't hard though.....hell of a lot easier than doing US taxes. The other issue I had with mailing the self assessment in.....getting lost in the mail. Last year, the first one didn't get out of Harrogate before it vanished. Sent another one in....it got there. This year.....mailed the first one in Special delivery/guaranteed next day etc etc.....vanished in the Midlands. A couple of weeks later I do my taxes again......shazam....vanished again. After waiting 30 minutes to talk to a tax person...I explained how my mail just isn't getting there. He replies....."we got the first one, we just don't sign for them because it's too much work".....and Royal Mail doesn't make any notes either, so.....you have no idea if it gets there.

That is a real bummer you can’t do a SA without a NINO, because I think you would find it pretty straightforward. I don’t understand why they allow you to get a UTR and even do electronic filing via tax software without a NINO but require it if you actually file it online but not if you complete the paper form and mail it in.

When I send  important stuff via the Post Office I send it as tracked so I see when the Post Office actually deliver it, even without a signature. They give you a tracking number so you can see its whereabouts online.

When I send  important stuff via the Post Office I send it as tracked so I see when the Post Office actually deliver it, even without a signature. They give you a tracking number so you can see its whereabouts online.

Yep, that's what I always do as well. See below from tracking on the first letter sent. Like I stated....the tax guy I talked to when I was panicking about the mail not getting there said they were too busy to sign for them......and nothing from Royal Mail stated delivery had actually happened. Sent a few notes off to Royal Mail, just an answer from them about being sorry. At least the guy on the phone let me know the first letter had arrived and I think had already been dealt with....so I'm just waiting for the letter letting me know how much to pay. The guy on the phone quoted me a number that was a good bit lower than I thought I needed to pay. The second letter I sent had the same tracking info and just stated it was due to be delivered, but again with no confirmation.

Friday 29 September 2023
02:44
Due to be delivered today by
North West Midlands MC
02:21
Arrived at
North West Midlands MC
Thursday 28 September 2023
19:52
Item Despatched to North West Midlands MC
Leeds MC
15:27
Item received at
Leeds MC
11:54
Sender preparing item
11:36
Accepted at Post Office
Harrogate Post Office [HG1 1TU]

Yeah.....I get that. The problem I had was there was nothing that I saw beginning the form that stated exactly what info they were going to ask for. But the paper version evidently spelled it out. I just felt like an idiot because I asked my referees for a bit of info.....then had to go back to ask for a little more.....

Same. But I told them I wasn't exactly sure what information I was going to need and I had to end up message them several times before I had everything I needed.

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 Got my tax owed notice today....I tried unsuccessfully to pay it online. Again....I don't have a National Insurance number, so even though I have a Govt Gateway account and the UTR...I can't actually DO anything. So.....sending a Cheque in by mail.....if I can find the cheques, I'm sure they are in a file somewhere

Got my tax owed notice today....I tried unsuccessfully to pay it online. Again....I don't have a National Insurance number, so even though I have a Govt Gateway account and the UTR...I can't actually DO anything. So.....sending a Cheque in by mail.....if I can find the cheques, I'm sure they are in a file somewhere

It doesn't look like you need a national insurance number to pay by faster payments.

Pay by Faster Payments, CHAPS or Bacs
Your bill will tell you which bank account to pay into. If you do not have a bill, or you’re not sure, you can pay into either account.

Account details to use
Pay into one of the following accounts:

sort code - 08 32 10
account number - 12001039
account name - HMRC Cumbernauld

sort code - 08 32 10
account number - 12001020
account name - HMRC Shipley
If your account is overseas
Pay into one of the following accounts:

Bank Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22
account number (IBAN) - GB62BARC20114770297690
account name - HMRC Cumbernauld

Bank Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22
account number (IBAN) - GB03BARC20114783977692
account name - HMRC Shipley
Some banks will charge you if you do not pay in pounds sterling.

What you’ll need
You’ll need to use your 11-character payment reference when you pay. This is your 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) followed by the letter ‘K’.

You can find it either:

in your HMRC online account
on your paying-in slip, if you get paper statements
Your payment may be delayed if you use the wrong reference number.
 

https://www.gov.uk/pay-self-assessment-tax-bill/bank-details

As larrabee says I pay by direct bank transfer. I have HMRC set up as a payee in my bank account and send them payments with my UTR in the memo field, no need to log onto the HMRC gateway. Works just fine, NINO is not needed for my payments.