Hi all,
In a couple of weeks I’m going to be recording another ‘pensions special’ podcast. This is the ideal opportunity for you to get YOUR questions answered.
If there’s anything you’d like us to discuss / answer / resolve / be flummoxed by please post below - or DM me if you prefer. All names can be changed 
You’re welcome ! 
I’d like a definite answer on whether capital gains and dividends from US non-retirement accounts are taxable in France. I’ve heard “experts” say yes and no. I’ve looked at the US-France tax treaty and it’s not very clear. I also have translated the various French tax forms and that is so confusing.
C’mon everyone - there must be some of you with pensions queries…!
Possibly not Cat, as @George1 provides such useful information on tax and pensions queries already. If you trawl back through the financial section no doubt you will find stuff people have asked in the past.
Not so much pensions - I can bore you again with my very specialised question about French taxation (and potential social charges) on income deriving from the US and Canada from the sale of stock photos, if you like. 
Hi cat,
Here’s one maybe (we’d be talking UK state pensions here): at the point of applying on standard retirment age, is there any adjustment to be anticipated to the regular statutory amount if having spent a number of years abroad, but without ever having been economically active anywhere other than in the UK (assume voluntary NI contribs made up to qualify for the full state packet & 0€ made elsewhere) ?
Hi Cat. I have missed your podcast but I would like your advice. I have my pension paid into Santander International. Now they are charging £40 a month for accounts under £75.000. I still want to have payments in Sterling. Is there another way for me to do this. I only have a French address so a Uk bank account is out of the question.
Hi, i would recommend you get a Revolut account which is entirely free of charge. You can then have a sterling and euro account complete with UK sort code to have your pension paid in and a french RIB. And then just move money across when it suits you. Here’s a link Join me and over 60 million users who love Revolut. Sign up with my link below: You were invited
Just to say a UK bank account is not entirely out of the question. You can still open a basic bank account with HSBC - the UK high street bank, not the offshore arm of HSBC - even if you’re resident in France.
We opened an HSBC account here when we bought our house in 2012. Unfortunately when I wanted to pay in a cheque, I discovered the nearest branch was over 200kms away in Limoges.
Am sure you know this already Dr Mark but just to be clear for the OP I’m not talking about HSBC France. I mean the UK-based high street bank.
A friend of mine went into a branch and opened one while back visiting family recently in Cornwall. But I think you can also do the application online. Just check their website.
To the best of my knowledge HSBC is the only UK bank that offers new current accounts to people resident in France. Am not talking about offshore banks obviously. Or fintechs like Wise (which I like very much).
And obviously I’m talking about the ability to open new accounts after you’ve left the UK. Not the ability to maintain existing accounts (for example my own building society the Nationwide has no problem with this).
The good thing about HSBC UK is that because it is actually a bank, it meets the conditions for anyone who might then want to open a savings account or buy savings bonds with NS&I. Wise doesn’t qualify unfortunately. And neither do offshore banks like Barclays International, Skipton International, HSBC International, etc.
Hi Helenochka & Dr Mark. Just tried opening an account online. Sadly I can’t open one as I reside in France. Cat recommended Revolut. I have to say I felt happier opening a bank account like HSBC having the safety of it. I will now think about Revolut. Helenochka you mentioned Wise what is that like. Thanks all for giving me the advise.
I also need to add that I need a card for paying power online with Stirling.
Wise is similar to Revolut in that it is a “fintech” i.e. an online financial transaction service not a conventional bank.
Unlike a normal bank account there is no statutory protection for your money if they go bust, though both Wise and Revolut are very reputable and have procedures in place to protect your money.
However I would suggest not leaving large sums with them long-term - that’s not what they are for - rather the idea is to use them to move money from A to B efficiently and at a lower cost than using a bank.
That said, I do keep a few hundred euros/dollars/pounds in my Wise account as it’s handy to use their VISA card when I’m in France to pay for things like petrol and groceries in Euros instead of having to accept the poorer exchange rate of a UK bank’s VISA or MasterCard.
I also use my Wise account for online transactions in foreign currencies, such as buying software from US vendors. I also get paid for my stock photo sales into my Wise account in dollars, and then do the currency conversion myself as needed.
You can hold balances in over 40 currencies if needed, though I only use Pounds, Euros and US Dollars.
I would think that either Wise or Revolut would suit you - I can only comment on Wise from personal experience though I know many SF members are happy with both.
The “pound” section of my account has a UK sort code / IBAN number. The Euro section has a Belgian IBAN rather than French; this doesn’t matter to me but I think you can get a French option if you care about that. The Wise VISA debit card works anywhere and I have a second “virtual” card in my apple wallet for online use.
ETA: Some people have reported issues with French institutions refusing to accept an account with a Belgian IBAN for things like Direct Debits. Apparently this is illegal under EU law, and you can log a complaint at https://www.acceptmyiban.org/
Hi ChrisMann Thanks for explaining that to me. I feel a bit happier now. Mind you the night mare starts closing my S T D account and opening another before ST D takes more of my money.
That’s strange. Certainly France is in the list of eligible countries. And my friend who’s French resident had no problems although she opened the account in person.
Any idea what’s blocking you from making an application online?
I just had a quick look and it seems you start by applying for a standard HSBC account and once they see you don’t qualify, they automatically offer you a Basic Bank Account.
Wise are great. But as Chris has said, don’t leave large amounts there. It’s not a bank.
Accpording to this, living abroad is no bar to opening an HSBC UK account: Apply For A UK Account | New To UK - HSBC UK
Might be worth trying again or making a phone call.
No.
Is that definite enough for you?
This assumes that you are a US citizen and that the funds are purely from US sources.
After filling in the form then to my address it came back cant open an account on line with your address.
