Self Assessment

Just tried to find out how to get a Nat Insurance number or equivalent. The site just doesn't seem to fit old farts like me. Anybody done this? Granted....I'm retired, 63, American and will need to pay UK tax on my US social security this year. The site states that there might be an insurance number on the back of my BRP.....there is a number there....kind of....but no idea what it is, and it doesn't look anything like my UK wife's number.

I tried calling, but you get different sections......but maybe next time I will call and wait and see if "anybody" talks to me.

I registered for self assessment for myself, and also helped my wife and her sister to register.  I don't believe you actually need a NI number to register.  At the end of the process you get a unique taxpayer reference (UTR) which is what is needed to file an HMRC Self Assessment.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-assessment-register-for-self-assessment-and-get-a-tax-return-sa1

The info box on NI number in the application says to leave it blank if you don't have one. Just simply put down that you are a retired USC with foreign income in the explanation box.

National Insurance number
Your National Insurance number is a nine-digit reference made up of letters and numbers in the format QQ123456A. Please enter the reference with no spaces.

You can find your National Insurance number on your payslip, P60, or letters about tax, pensions and benefits. You can also find it through your personal tax account and download a confirmation letter. You will also find it on most correspondence from HM Revenue & Customs.

If you do not have a National Insurance number, you only need to apply for one if you're planning to:

work
claim benefits
apply for a student loan
pay Class 3 voluntary National Insurance contributions
If you do not need to apply for a National Insurance number, please leave the National Insurance number field blank and confirm in the Reasons box that none of the criteria apply to you.

Since this is your first time doing an SA it could take many weeks to get registered so may well miss the Jan 31st deadline if you are filing for the most recent tax year, 19/20.

If you are registering for the 20/21 tax year, congratulations of being ahead of the game.

The site states that there might be an insurance number on the back of my BRP.....there is a number there....kind of....but no idea what it is, and it doesn't look anything like my UK wife's number.

The format of the nat insurance number should be as follows, otherwise it is not a nat Insurance number.

he format of the number is two prefix letters, six digits and one suffix letter. An example is QQ123456C. Neither of the first two letters can be D, F, I, Q, U or V. The second letter also cannot be O.

Thanks Alan...that makes things a whole lot easier. The number on the back of the BRP started IRG I think.....which is not an NI number. But, also doesn't tell me what the heck it is either.

I had called HMRC a couple of years ago to see if I needed to get/do anything. At that time the person couldn't answer my question because it was a bit of a specialist topic but I got a call back the next day from someone who understood the US situation. Both people were VERY helpful, I was most impressed at the time. She told me at the time I wouldn't have to do anything until my SS money started tipping me over the tax free limit.....which will be this current tax season. I started SS in Sept 2019 but didn't get enough for 19/20 to go over the limit. The 20/21 year I'll should go over by £3-4K. The SS is paid directly into my bank account in £ so it should be pretty simple to do if I don't need that NI type number.

So.....I just sit back and wait until April to do anything?

I'm also hoping this is the last year I have my wife on my US taxes. All my retirement money is here now and they only thing the US will be taxing from 2021 onwards is my measly pension....plus some interest here and there on bank accounts here in the UK. I don't want to have to worry about the US trying to tax my wife's pension etc when that starts.

If things stay like they were, hopefully in another year I can try to get my wife some of my SS spousal money.

Thanks Alan...that makes things a whole lot easier. The number on the back of the BRP started IRG I think.....which is not an NI number. But, also doesn't tell me what the heck it is either.

I had called HMRC a couple of years ago to see if I needed to get/do anything. At that time the person couldn't answer my question because it was a bit of a specialist topic but I got a call back the next day from someone who understood the US situation. Both people were VERY helpful, I was most impressed at the time. She told me at the time I wouldn't have to do anything until my SS money started tipping me over the tax free limit.....which will be this current tax season. I started SS in Sept 2019 but didn't get enough for 19/20 to go over the limit. The 20/21 year I'll should go over by £3-4K. The SS is paid directly into my bank account in £ so it should be pretty simple to do if I don't need that NI type number.

So.....I just sit back and wait until April to do anything?

I'm also hoping this is the last year I have my wife on my US taxes. All my retirement money is here now and they only thing the US will be taxing from 2021 onwards is my measly pension....plus some interest here and there on bank accounts here in the UK. I don't want to have to worry about the US trying to tax my wife's pension etc when that starts.

If things stay like they were, hopefully in another year I can try to get my wife some of my SS spousal money.

It sounds like you are all set to go.  I would start the registration process in April for sure to get your UTR.  When my my wife's sister did this a couple of years ago it took many weeks and lots of effort.

For the year 20/21 I would file it sometime this calendar year, and you won't need to pay any tax owed until January 2022.  You'll need an HMRC online account if you don't have one already but that will probably be part of the self assessment process.

Good luck, let us all know how you get on with the process.

UTR? What is it?

UTR? What is it?

I explained in my first reply.

I don't believe you actually need a NI number to register.  At the end of the process you get a unique taxpayer reference (UTR) which is what is needed to file an HMRC Self Assessment.

Thanks......